President’s Posts

SECC’s President & CEO Nathan Shannon shares monthly insights on the relationship between energy consumers and smart energy technology.

How Utilities Can Drive the Customer Experience Around EVs

About one year ago, President Biden welcomed auto industry leaders to the White House for the announcement of a national goal for half of all new cars and trucks sold to be zero emissions by 2030. While largely a symbolic move, as the executive order is non-binding, it does accurately reflect the immense momentum that has been building within the electric vehicle (EV) industry over the past couple of years.
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Why Some Consumers Have Not Adopted Smart Home Devices

While smart home devices have grown rapidly throughout the past decade, a recent report from the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) suggests that 2021 may be a relative down year for these technologies, with flat revenues and just 11-percent growth in unit sales.
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Racial Equity in the Smart Energy Future

With the social unrest following the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May 2020, many in the utility sector began thinking about ways to advance racial equity in the industry – for both their customers as well as their employees.
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Who Are Smart Home Device Owners?

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Promising convenience, entertainment, energy savings and other benefits, smart home devices have taken off in recent years. While the economic uncertainty around COVID-19 seems to have impacted this growth, smart speaker adoption continues to exceed “nearly every consumer electronic device”, including, at one point, the iPhone.
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Addressing Consumer Pain Points to Electric Vehicle Adoption

Over the past year, which has been filled with unprecedented challenges for consumers, the Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative (SECC) has continued to research what consumers want from energy...
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What Have We Learned About Today’s Consumers?

Over the past year, which has been filled with unprecedented challenges for consumers, the Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative (SECC) has continued to research what consumers want from energy...
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Three Notable Racial Disparities Among Lower-Income Consumers

For the final publication in a series on lower-income energy consumers, the Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative (SECC) recently delved into survey responses from 1,000...
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A Letter from SECC’s President Patty Durand

Much has changed in the energy industry in my 10 years as president of the SECC. As I step down from leadership, I would like to share my thoughts about the past decade and...
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Three Obstacles for Lower-Income Energy Consumers

Clean and smart energy technologies, such as rooftop solar, smart thermostats and electric vehicles (EVs), have weathered the COVID-19 pandemic relatively well. Despite a tumultuous...
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The Value of Online Marketplaces During COVID-19

Online marketplaces are uniquely positioned to combat many of the challenges from COVID-19 and help consumers save energy during this difficult time.
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Five Insights on Energy Consumers for 2020

While many electricity providers have become significantly more customer-centric in recent years, how receptive have consumers in the United States and Canada been to this evolution?
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Helping Consumers Save Energy During COVID-19

As we enter the sixth month of the COVID-19 pandemic, many Americans are still un- or underemployed, and many financial assistance programs due to expire this summer – if they haven’t...
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How Utilities Can Assist Small Businesses During COVID-19

Small-and-medium businesses (SMBs) employ about half of all Americans and account for 44 percent of U.S. economic activity. However, when it comes to utility programs and services, SMBs are often considered to be the “forgotten middle” between...
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The EV Revolution Can Get a Boost from Utilities

Electric vehicles – their widespread adoption has seemed almost inevitable, but adoption has been slower than many anticipated. Now, utilities are laying the groundwork to expedite that adoption. On their own, EVs are driving the creation...
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What Do Consumers Think About Beneficial Electrification?

As electric utilities and policymakers look for ways to address climate change and decarbonize the economy, electrification is one emerging strategy that is increasingly gaining attention in the industry. With the emissions rate of electricity...
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Engaging Lower-Income Consumers in Smart Energy

When we talk about smart energy, thoughts often veer toward rooftop solar panels, the latest smart thermostat models, home energy storage or a Tesla Model S electric vehicle – all of which require substantial investments. This has led some...
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Three Utility Programs That Are Empowering Consumers

The past decade has seen the proliferation of a number of technologies with the potential to help residential consumers engage in their energy use: smart meters, rooftop solar, electric vehicles, home battery storage, smart thermostats...
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Community-Centered Strategies for Engaging Consumers

SECC’s “2020 State of the Consumer” report points to education as a requirement to increase energy engagement and address the needs of today's consumers. Whether it’s research into rate design, distributed...
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