Webinar: Empowering Low-Income Communities
in the Smart Energy Economy

Presented by the Demand Response Coordinating Committee (DRCC)
Friday, October 22, 2020
1:00pm – 2:30pm EST

View the recording of this Webinar

Webinar Description:
Protecting vulnerable populations is fundamental for consumer advocates and state regulators. This role continues today as the world of smart grid and demand response unfolds. There are new investments for utilities to make and new capabilities and choices about to be offered to electricity customers. Scrutiny of the value proposition and benefits of smart grid to low-income residents has been a key part of many regulatory proceedings on smart metering deployment. 

Utilities and other parties have been studying the impact of dynamic pricing in pilots (such as the PowerCentsDC pilot and the California roll-out of dynamic pricing) on low-income populations. Not only do these households typically have flatter than average load profiles, but energy costs represent a higher percentage of their total income providing strong incentive to learn and save. 

This webinar goes beyond the data to examine and discuss the concerns and misconceptions in rollout plans. It looks at the role community-based empowerment programs can play in accelerating customer adoption of AMI, DR, and Smart Grid.

Our panelists will examine:

• The consistent trends that appear in the research and how they correlate with community attitudes
• Should assumptions used in analysis be modified based on field-based experiences?
• How addressing issues of social justice, personal responsibility and job creation lead to developing higher Green IQs
• How delivering an integrated clean energy story inspires individuals and small businesses to engage in conscious energy practices, save money on their bills, participate in demand response programs and support smart grid deployments  
• The role schools, churches and existing social service agencies can play in delivering messages  including long-term consumer acceptance

Presenters:
Lisa Wood, Executive Director, Institute for Electric Efficiency 
Rhon Hayes, Co-founder, Green DMV: working towards a green and more sustainable tomorrow 
Debbie Mytels, Associate Director, Acterra: Action for a Sustainable Earth 
Rosanna Herber, Supervisor of Community Engagement, SMUD 

Moderator: 
Judith Schwartz, To the Point

For more information: 
Jenny Cross, Program Coordinator, DRCC 
[email protected]

Demand Response Coordinating Committee (DRCC)

The DRCC is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to the development and exchange of information and expertise about demand response and smart grid. More on the DRCC can be found atwww.demandresponsecommittee.org.

Members of the DRCC include Ameren, American Electric Power, Arizona Public Service, CPower, ISO New England, Itron, Landis+Gyr, Midwest ISO, National Grid, NYSERDA, Pacific Gas & Electric, PJM Interconnection, Progress Energy, Salt River Project, San Diego Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison, Southern Company, Tennessee Valley Authority, and Wal-Mart.