Over the past decade, the U.S. smart grid industry has exploded in response to aging utilities in need of repair. Just five years ago, in 2012, the smart grid market represented $33 billion for the utility industry. As quoted in this article from Pinnacle Business Systems, Pike Research experts say the value of smart grid technology companies is “likely to total $73 billion annually by the close of 2020.”
“The overlay of modern smart grid technologies onto the existing grid promises numerous benefits to utilities, including increased reliability and capacity, reduced energy losses, and deferring or eliminating the need for new generation resources. These benefits reach far beyond the business of any particular utility to underlie economic growth, social well-being, and the shift to energy sources that are less damaging to the environment.”
So, where should astute vendors interested in utility smart grid deployments look for opportunities? The following list of utilities are involved in projects from the inception, and finding opportunities to network with their employees is a great way to learn what’s happening in the industry—and to learn about smart grid projects you may want to become a part of.
Top Smart Grid Companies (Utilities)
1. Southern California Edison (SCE)
SCE is an established company (it’s been around since 1909!) but that doesn’t preclude it from up-and-coming status. As one of the nation’s largest electric utilities, SCE delivers power to 15 million people in 50,000 square miles across central, coastal, and Southern California, excluding Los Angeles and some other cities. With 24 smart grid projects in the works or already completed, the company has demonstrated an interest in large-scale smart grid project implementations. You can find interesting information about clean energy on its Transforming The Grid page.
A list of completed projects is available here—you can also check out the current list of infrastructure upgrades on the SCE website.
2. National Grid
National Grid is one of the largest investor-owned energy companies in the world, covering Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island, and the U.K. National Grid has recently released a series of RFPs seeking smart grid project solutions in lieu of traditional transmission upgrades, and the company is likely to issue more in the near future. Both are located in New York state.
You can find information about becoming a supplier or vendor for National Grid projects here.
3. Public Service Company of Colorado
Public Service Company of Colorado (PSCo) was formed in 1923, and by 1924 it had acquired most of the electric companies in northern and central Colorado. Today, Public Service Company of Colorado is an operating company of Minneapolis-based Xcel Energy Inc. Xcel Energy is an investor-owned utility with more than 20,000 miles of transmission lines and more than 1,200 substations across 10 states.
Public Service Company of Colorado is in the process of planning a large Advance Metering Infrastructure deployment in the Denver metro area that is expected to begin in 2019. The project will also include the installation of feeder automation and voltage optimization technologies.
You can find information for builders, trade partners, renewable developers, suppliers, municipalities, and more here.
Ready to learn more about these up-and-coming companies?
To learn more about these and the thousands of other utility companies in the U.S., check out our Energy Acuity Grid Platform.
Source: Energy Acuity
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