Demand Response Programs at Risk?

What if you throw a party and nobody shows up? With technology basics out of the way and demand response programs beginning to proliferate, the attention now turns to getting
customers to participate. And that may prove far harder than expected.

That has been the case at Xcel Energy's SmartGridCity, where they have gotten the technology to work but are experiencing delays getting their rate structures approved.

Most Smart Grid initiatives have been allowed based partly on expected benefits from demand response. But the programs are voluntary and optional. What if customers fail to sign up in the quantities needed? Utilities could be in big trouble with their regulators and
ratepayers.

Vertex is here at DistribuTECH to say the solution is to let them outsource your call center and customer care, as they are doing in the United Kingdom and Canada.

Not so fast, counters Ventyx, which is moving rapidly to integrate its back office strengths with mobile workforce management. Outsource too much, Ventyx warns, and your mobile workforce won't be trained for next-gen services -- and that could prevent utilities from getting into new and lucrative lines of business such as installing distributed storage and distributed solar.

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