Survey: Mini-Depression in Grid Spending, and Utilities are Bullish on Nuclear

Despite all the talk about the Smart Grid, spending on electric power infrastructure has dropped for two straight years for the first time since the Great Depression. According to a new survey by Black & Veatch, many utilities are pulling in their horns to focus on keeping the lights on while keeping their books in the black.

Other interesting findings: Utilities are bullish on nuclear; they expect carbon legislation soon; and they believe a cap and trade plan would add $500-$1,000 to the average homeowner's electric bill.

A new utility survey says capital spending on electric grid infrastructure has dropped for two years straight for the first time since the 1930s. The Black & Veatch survey also found that utilities believe nuclear energy is the best bet for meeting environmental rules and cutting emissions.

Black & Veatch, an engineering and construction firm, just released its 2009/2010 Strategic Directions in the Electric Utility Industry Survey. The company surveyed 329 utility industry representatives from public and investor-owned utilities as well as architects, builders, engineers, non-regulated generators, financial institutions, attorneys and others affiliated with the industry.

The survey found that survey participants consider reliability, regulation and long-term investment to be the three top issues facing utilities. Also, many utilities see their generation assets as near, at or past their planned service lives. And, they don't like what they see in the current cap and trade legislation, though they do expect carbon legislation by 2012.

And while respondents said nuclear energy is the most effective way to meet environmental requirements and to tackle emissions reductions — with wind and natural gas coming in second and third — there is still a place for coal in the country's energy future.

Also, their investments in renewables at this point are led primarily by wind and solar.

From the source ...

Black & Veatch survey

ZDNet news article

Related SGN resources ...

Key Players: Utilities

Coalition Urges Congress and Obama Administration to Create National Infrastructure Bank

Stay connected with SGN …

Smart Grid Discussions: Get LinkedIn with Jesse

Smart Grid on Facebook: Be a Fan

Follow Us on Twitter

Try our RSS feed

Get our email digest