Smart Grid
On behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), D&R evaluated the state of the market for smart products to determine what role, if any, DOE might play in accelerating its development. D&R concluded that there are significant barriers inhibiting market development. Some of the same obstacles are also affecting the infrastructure investments that the Federal stimulus was intended to encourage. These challenges include:
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Lack of common direction and coordination among stakeholders
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Smart Grid advocates’ failure to anticipate and address the concerns of regulators and consumer advocates
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Absence of a compelling value proposition for consumer participation in Smart Grid and ineffective communication efforts to consumers
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Conflicting information bombarding consumers and industry stakeholders
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Limited establishment of key enabling policies (e.g., decoupling and effective time-dependent rate structures)