Smart Grid Consumer Collaborative

Education:in 2024, secc continued to produce educational resources and increase learning opportunities. Through a volunteer-based education and outreach committee, members worked together to improve consumer awareness and understanding of modernized electrical systems by recognizing smart energy success, expanding available resources to stakeholders and amplifying the smart energy benefits message to consumers nationwide.secc continued a best practices awards program that identified leadership from energy providers shifting toward a more consumer-focused energy ecosystem. The fifth annual edition of the awards identified six winners hydro one, avangrid, pseg long island, nb power, comed and dominion energy. They were each recognized at the 2024 consumer symposium in orlando, fl. The awards program focuses on real-life examples of customer engagement and education success and highlights a blueprint for other electricity providers (and their industry partners) to follow.secc also hosted a series of nine free peer connect webinars concerning topics ranging from 2024 best practices awards, smart energy snapshot surveys, and understanding the smb landscape: new needs and concerns. Each webinar covered smart energy and consumer related topics featuring speakers from stakeholders with expertise in that specific subject. Additionally, speakers answered questions and engaged in discussion about each topic. Utilizing the six themes from the 2024 state of the consumer report, secc published an in-depth secc's building trust in the energy transition white paper white paper that highlights examples include no-cost energy efficiency upgrades for income-eligible customers, a heat pump rebate program, an electric vehicle (ev) charger installation program, a time-of-use (tou) rate pilot program and a roadmap for improving service reliability.in 2024, the education & outreach committee continued with its factsheet and video approach, producing multiple resources under a common theme to maximize the reach and usefulness of the educational materials for members. The education committee completed its "questions to ask about heat pumps fact sheet", series provided consumers with basic information about heat pumps, such as how they work and the benefits that they offer, and helped prepare them to discuss heat pumps including incentives and trade allies for installation with their electricity providers. Along with its "educating on electrification: heat pumps video" helping consumers understand the basics of air-source heat pumps, including how they work, what benefits they can provide and what incentives may be available to assist with upfront costs.secc continued enhancing materials on its consumer-facing website, www.whatissmartenergy.org. The website reorganized further its ability to make it easier for consumers to find relevant content on electric vehicles, renewable energy, the smart grid and more. Secc also engaged with consumers on a variety of platforms daily; largely through twitter and facebook with multiple postings a day including both original content from the blogs or pertinent news articles about the shifting world of energy.

Collaboration:during 2024, secc continued to maintain its unique membership base, including technology vendors and consultants, energy providers and affiliates, and added ten new members indicating the value in the research and educational materials produced as well as the collaboration facilitated. Secc presented at 20 conferences and workshops, in person and virtual, across the country. To further the reach of secc's research and educational materials, secc released 38 media centered press releases. In addition, secc was featured in over 2 articles in trade media.secc continued to collaborate among stakeholders including issuing a monthly e-newsletter and twelve additional president's post blog posts from secc's president & ceo nathan shannon on topics how do americans feel about grid modernization. Secc continued a consistent social media presence on x, facebook, linkedin and youtube. Throughout 2024, secc also continued the weekly above the fold, a newsletter that kept members and non-members abreast of smart energy and consumer industry news and trends.secc also hosted two conferences in 2024 including the annual consumer symposium, the consumers voice in the energy movement, open to the public and a virtual, members meeting & fall workshop where members focused on discussing the most pertinent issues in smart energy today and planning future secc initiatives for 2025. Both events featured a diverse group of stakeholders and many engaging panels. In support of secc's research releases, secc provided publicly available research brief webinars covering each study including the 2024 state of the consumer, smart energy snapshot survey and understanding the smb landscape: new needs and concerns. Each webinar provided topic-oriented experts speaking to the findings of research and its implications as well as action steps for opportunities within the industry. Additionally, speakers answered questions and engaged in discussion about each topic.