Zypryme, a reporting and analysis firm that regularly conducts surveys, has recently found that that this month’s Smart Grid Index (SGI) results show that overall Smart Grid sentiment rose four-percent points.

According to the report, “Over the next 12 months, forty-one percent of respondents indicated that North America represented the best opportunity for utility related information and communication technologies (ICTs).”

The Smart Grid Index Results (January 2013) found:

· Overall Sentiment: 67 percent currently have a positive view of the Smart Grid, a one-percent point increase from last month.

· Expected Utility Investments: 31 percent expect utility Smart Grid related investments to significantly increase over the next 12 months, a one-percent increase from last month.

· Current Sales/Expenditures: 58 percent said their Smart Grid related sales or expenditures have increased over the last 12 months, a three-percent point decrease from last month.

· Expected Sales/Expenditures: 66 percent expect their Smart Grid related sales or expenditures to increase over the next 12 months, a one-percent point decrease from last month.

· Hiring: 51 percent expect the number of staff in Smart Grid related roles to increase over the next 12 months, a three-percent point decrease from last month.

· Deals Closed: 46 percentage of vendor respondents said they closed new Smart Grid related deals last month, a one-percent point increase from last month.

· New Proposals: 61 percent of utility respondents plan to submit new Smart Grid proposals for budget approval over the next 12 months, a 12-percent point decrease from last month.

Perceptions about the Smart Grid remain positive because promises from the industry focus providing benefits to consumers, in terms of costs in electricity and a cleaner environment. Likewise, Demand Response companies also tour the Smart Grid benefits to the market, and while many of them are plausible and do-able, a truly efficient grid is a long way off from fruition until significant investments are made to the current foundational energy infrastructure.

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