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Customer Engagement

The IoT and EE

What Does It Spell?

As the Internet of Things enters our homes, utilities have an opportunity to aggregate the devices into a system that consumers can easily manage. Consumers will find they are becoming more energy efficient, even if that was not the initial motivation.
Byline: 

John Hargrove and Eric Stern

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The Power of Innovation, Part 1

Utility Execs' Roundtable: We sat down with seven utility execs who lead their companies on innovation

Strategy& and Public Utilities Fortnightly recently collaborated on an innovation roundtable in Washington, D.C. at the offices of the Edison Electric Institute. The experiences of these senior executives convey insights attained through the hard work of creating their unique innovation platforms.
Byline: 

By Public Utilities Fortnightly

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Health Benefits of Energy Efficiency

A No-Brainer

We can make the standard arguments about why energy efficiency makes sense. But there is also another benefit: Improved energy efficiency provides direct health benefits to low-income households.
Byline: 

John Hargrove

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Watch Your Language

Beware of Utility Lingo in Customer-centric World

To be heard, utilities must change the habit of relying on rate case jargon for customer communications.
Byline: 

Roger Woodworth

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Hiding Electricity's Complexity

Should We Lift the Curtain?

Almost nobody realizes the most advanced technology helps us manage grids, operate plants, integrate renewables, route flows, limit peak demand, and restore service after storms. Should we lift the curtain covering the network’s complexity?
Byline: 

Steve Mitnick

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Is Customer Activism for Real?

New Business Model, A Balancing Act

The attention given to the new electricity customer seems to overlook the fact that electricity is basically a commodity. And that the average residential customer may in fact be satisfied with electric service and price.
Byline: 

Kenneth Costello

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The New Standard Offer

Impact of Robust Customer Engagement

It's not just residential customers. Commercial customers need to be engaged more vigorously and analytically by utilities as competition increases along with customers’ expectations.
Byline: 

Austin Whitman

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Response to Mitnick Re: What Consumers Want

A response to the Editor-in-Chief column by Steve Mitnick in our May 2016 issue

Unless and until we have access to economic bulk storage, substitution of carbon-free sources for fossil fuels will increase cost significantly. The cost must be borne by some combination of taxpayers and ratepayers.
Byline: 

Richard Pierce, Jr.

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The Consumer-Centric Utility

Empowering Consumers while Managing Risk and Optimizing Assets

Electric utilities do not simply sell a commodity. They sell safe, affordable, reliable and clean electric service. The “Consumer-Centric Utility” business model provides a viable framework for utilities while enabling new products and services that meet growing consumer expectations.
Byline: 

Jan Ahlen

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