Thursday, March 11, 2010, 1:15pm PST | Modified: March 11, 2010, 1:15 PM

Survey: Power companies still unsure of smart grids

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Utility companies are ready to advance their smart grid technologies, but see financial concerns getting in the way, according to a Microsoft Corp. survey released Thursday at CERAWeek 2010.

The company’s “Worldwide Utility Industry Survey 2010” polled almost 200 professionals within electric, gas and water utilities and related companies around the world on the challenges of utilities getting on the right path toward building a smart grid.

Of those responding, only 8 percent have completed their smart grid technology implementations, while 37 percent have projects underway and more than half haven’t yet started, according to the survey.

“As this study clearly shows, the disruptive nature of the smart grid revolution, and the innovations it brings, has caught many in the industry by surprise, including many utilities that already have embraced smart grid technologies,” said Jon Arnold, managing director for the worldwide power and utilities industry at Microsoft.

“Some incorrectly assert that the utility industry is unwilling to change, but the survey shows the opposite. It’s the magnitude of change to everything from business models to systems that’s overwhelming, especially given utilities’ existing asset and technology investments combined with the need to ensure profitability and reliability.”

Read the full story in the Houston Business Journal.