Smart Grid Customer Engagement Working Group Tops 120 Members

Utilities, Regulators, and Industry Stakeholders Respond to Increasing Industry Need

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SmartEnergy IP™ announced today a strong response to the convening of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Smart Grid Customer Engagement Working Group. The Working Group, which was announced earlier this month, has already attracted more than 120 industry stakeholders including more than 50 utilities. The goal of the Smart Grid Customer Engagement Working Group is to develop a model of industry best practices for smart grid customer engagement, which will become a resource for utilities rolling out smart grid programs in the future.

The Working Group is composed of subcommittees in the following areas:

• Resource Planning and Finance
• Stakeholder Relations
• Regulatory Communications
• Research and Metrics
• Customer Advocacy
• IT and Technology
• Marketing Communications

Senior utility executives are chairing each of the subcommittees.

The first in-person event for the Working Group will take place on November 29, 2012 in Washington D.C. For more information on the Working Group or the event, visit www.smartenergy-ip.com/workinggroup.html or contact Kristin Marcell at [e-mail].

About the Smart Grid Customer Engagement Working Group

U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is convening a Smart Grid Customer Engagement Working Group to develop a model of industry best practices for smart grid customer engagement, which will become a resource for utilities rolling out smart grid programs in the future. For more information about the Smart Grid Customer Engagement Working Group or Model, please contact Kristin Marcell with SmartEnergy IP at 215-504-4272 or email [e-mail].

About SmartEnergy IP™

SmartEnergy IP™ is a research and consulting organization within SmartMark Communications, LLC that is dedicated to helping utilities communicate the benefits of Smart Grid to customers. As utilities roll out Smart Grid initiatives – from smart meters to dynamic pricing programs—there are ways to ensure that customers are best prepared to make smart energy choices and positively support these rollouts. SmartMark Communications has over a decade of experience in the energy and utilities customer care domain, helping utilities and suppliers market effectively to customers. For more information, visit www.smartenergy-ip.com.