Data on Energy Research Reported by Researchers at Syracuse University (Proceeding With Caution: Drivers and Obstacles To Electric Utility Adoption of Smart Grids In the United States)

2022 DEC 07 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Energy Daily News -- Investigators publish new report on Energy Research. According to news reporting out of Syracuse, New York, by NewsRx editors, research stated, “Smart grid adoption by U.S. electric utilities promises improved reliability and resilience for an aging electric grid, while enabling integration of renewable energy sources and decarbonization of the electricity sector. Factors influencing adoption are unclear, however.”

Financial support for this research came from National Science Foundation (NSF).

Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research from Syracuse University, “Starting with the technology, organizational and environ-mental (TOE) model, we examined factors influencing smart grid adoption using a mixed methods approach that included interviews and a survey of utility representatives. We found that utilities were primarily motivated by internal goals such as cost reduction and improved operational performance, and less by external factors such as customer demand or pressure to accommodate renewables. They were inhibited by the perception that tech-nologies are still immature and by a lack of funds to invest. Larger utilities, IOUs, and more technologically opportunistic firms had higher levels of adoption. Structural topic modeling of interviews identified findings not captured in the TOE framework, such as the importance of relationships between utilities and regulators, and the overlapping roles of cooperative member/customers. These interactions are better explained within the insti-tutional logics perspective, which can enrich understanding of smart grid adoption beyond TOE.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “Policy rec-ommendations are offered to facilitate adoption through regulatory changes, financial support to utilities, and support of standardization.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

For more information on this research see: Proceeding With Caution: Drivers and Obstacles To Electric Utility Adoption of Smart Grids In the United States. Energy Research & Social Science, 2022;93. Energy Research & Social Science can be contacted at: Elsevier, Radarweg 29, 1043 Nx Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Our news journalists report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Jason Dedrick, Syracuse University, School of Information Studies, 343 Hinds Hall, Syracuse, NY 13244, United States. Additional authors for this research include You Zheng, Jeffrey Stanton and Angela Ramnarine-Rieks.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2022.102839" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2022.102839. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

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