PCCA Journal 3rd Quarter 2014 - page 39

PCCA Journal|3
rd
Quarter 2014
39
GE Survey Results: Americans
Willing to Pay More for Reliable Grid
G
E’s Digital Energy busi-
ness recently released the
results of its Grid Resil-
ience Survey, measuring
the U.S. public’s current
perception of the power grid, its experi-
ences, and future expectations. The sur-
vey was implemented following a very
active 2014 winter storm season that led
to several power outages, impacting mil-
lions of Americans.
According to the survey, conducted
by Harris Poll on behalf of GE in May
and June, among more than 2,000 U.S.
adults ages 18 and over, 41 percent of
Americans living east of the Mississippi
River are more willing to pay an ad-
ditional $10 per month to ensure the grid
is more reliable compared to 34 percent
of those living west of the Mississippi.
The survey also found that in the past
12 months, consumers living east of the
Mississippi experienced nearly three
times more power outages on average
than those living west of the Mississippi
(3.1 vs. 1.3). Of all adults in the U.S.
who experienced an outage, more than
half (56 percent) were without power
for at least one hour during their most
recent outage.
“The survey results are an indicator
that consumers want to invest in tech-
nology to prevent power outages and
reduce the time it takes their local utility
to restore power,” said John McDon-
ald, director of technical strategy and
policy development, GE’s Digital Energy
business. “We live in an on-demand
world that depends on electricity, one
where productivity, food, entertainment,
and even chores can be achieved with
the touch of a button. Our appetite for
automatic is so great that millions of
American adults would be willing to pay
more on their utility bills to maintain
their electrified lifestyles.”
Overall, consumers expect more value
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