April 2021

Electric Company Smart Meter Deployments: Foundation for a Smart Grid (2021 Update)

Adam Cooper, Mike Shuster, and Joseph Lash

This report highlights how electric companies had installed 99 million smart meters as of year-end 2019 and are using smart meter data, underlying communication systems, and technology to support customers during the COVID-19 pandemic, engage customers in programs to shift and shape their energy use, support clean energy goals, and enhance energy grid resiliency and operations during severe weather events. We estimate that 107 million smart meters were deployed by end of 2020, covering 75 percent of households, and the 115 million smart meters will be deployed by end of 2021.

September 2020

Rethinking Energy Efficiency as a Carbon Resource

Val Jensen

This report explores the key policy and program changes needed to deliver more energy efficiency as a low-cost and flexible resource that is complementary to deep carbon reductions goals and increased electrification. Energy efficiency has delivered huge benefits over the last 40 years, and while reducing electricity use remains an important objective, the future of energy efficiency will include new data-driven, customer-centric programs that can accommodate increased electrification and that can be deployed to meet time- and location-dependent grid management needs and clean energy goals.

March 2020

Energy Efficiency Trends in the Electric Power Industry (2008-2018)

Adam Cooper, Mike Shuster, and Lorraine Watkins

This report explores how energy efficiency (EE) programs are a win-win, helping customers to save energy and electric companies to reduce their carbon emissions. In 2018 EE programs saved 211 TWh of electricity, avoided the generation of 149 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, and saved enough electricity to power 26 million U.S. homes for one year. IEI believes that EE expenditures and savings will continue to grow over the next decade as long as participation in EE programs remains an easy option for customers.

December 2019

Electric Company Smart Meter Deployments: Foundation for a Smart Grid (2019 Update)

Adam Cooper and Mike Shuster

This report provides examples of how electric companies are leveraging information to improve grid operations, integrate distributed energy resources, and provide new customer solutions from more than 88 million smart meters deployed in the U.S. through end of 2018, covering nearly 70 percent of U.S. households. Based on survey results and approved plans, estimated deployments are expected to reach 98 million smart meters by the end of 2019 and 107 million by year-end 2020.

November 2018

Electric Vehicle Sales Forecast and the Charging Infrastructure Required Through 2030

Adam Cooper (IEI) and Kellen Schefter (EEI)

The transition to electric vehicles (EVs) is well underway with more than 1 million EVs on U.S. roads as of October 2018. Automakers are responding to customer demand and are developing more EV models, including both plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and battery electric vehicles (BEVs), that are increasingly cost-competitive with internal combustion engines. Electric transportation is a win-win. It meets customer needs, provides environmental benefits, and supports America’s energy security.

May 2017

Grid Modernization Technologies: Key Drivers of a Smarter Energy Future

Jonathan Blansfield and Adam Cooper

Grid Modernization is a key area of debate and discussion in the electric power industry.  Increasingly, states and electric companies and evaluating how best to deploy smarter energy infrastructure to achieve operational benefits and deliver customer value. This white paper discusses the "why" and the "how" of Grid Modernization, in terms of the technology and smarter energy infrastructure that electric companies have deployed to date.  Improved resiliency, reliability, and security; distributed energy resource integration and management; and improved grid efficiency and optimization are all driving investment in smarter energy infrastructure, including advanced metering infrastructure, technologies to improve power quality and power flow optimization technologies; and distribution automation and advanced outage management systems. 

April 2013

Forecast of On-Road Electric Transportation in the U.S. (2010-2035)

This report provides a forecast of electricity use in transportation from 2010 to 2035 based on the progressive adoption of electric vehicles, primarily electric light duty and commercial vehicles. The report develops multiple scenarios to assess a range of transportation electrification opportunities from 5-35 million EVs on the road by 2035, depending on advances in battery technology.

March 2013

Factors Affecting Electricity Consumption in the U.S. (2010-2035)

In the coming decades, many factors will affect electricity consumption in the United States. This report examines the potential effects of three key factors on electricity consumption: 1) improvements to building energy codes and appliance/equipment efficiency standards; 2) growth in ratepayer-funded electric efficiency programs; and 3) electrification of the transportation.