This session provided an overview into two of SECC’s many committees: Research and Education & Outreach. It included a fireside chat with Nick Corsetti - Director, AMI Customer, Business Integration & Business Case Development at National Grid, Jonathan Bach - Manager, Strategic Partnerships & Ventures at Xcel Energy, Norma McCarthy - Customer Engagement Specialist at New Brunswick Power Corporation and Patty Durand - President & CEO at Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative who guided attendees through some surprising consumer findings and unique ways for consumer engagement in SECC’s work this year.

Attendees learned about Xcel Energy’s journey toward building customer engagement strategies. You can watch the video here.

Attendees learned about new projects and innovating work that is happening at Xcel Energy from Nadia El Mallakh - VP of Strategic Partnerships & Ventures at Xcel Energy.

This session provided a comprehensive look at residential energy consumers and their attitudes, behaviors and values related to energy. Based on findings from a national survey of 2,500 consumers, the presentation covered consumers’ awareness of smart energy, their interest in energy-related products & services, their relationships with their energy providers and much more. Lucas Melbye – Vice President of Public Affairs at Maru/Matchbox, Brad Langley – Senior Director of Corporate Marketing at Uplight, Marek Herrmann-Nowosielski - Director, Product Management – Consumer Engagement at Aclara Technologies, Michel Losier - Executive Director, Customer Energy Solutions at New Brunswick Power Corporation and Matthew Mowat – Vice President, Marketing at Powerley discussed the major findings from the new Consumer Pulse – Wave 7 research and provided accompanying examples of customer program successes from electricity providers and third party vendors.

The advent of detailed smart meter data has changed the level of information available to consumers and electricity providers, and it has created opportunities for alternative rate structures along with a myriad of new programs and offers. Using what we have learned in a recently released SECC study on rate design Tamara Dzubay – Regulatory Affairs Manager at ecobee Energy, Jordan Folks – Managing Consultant at Opinion Dynamics, Jim Lazar - Senior Advisor at The Regulatory Assistance Project and Jeffrey Zethmayr – Director of Research at Illinois Citizens Utility Board discussed the opportunities to introduce new rate structures that may provide savings for consumers and a closer link between cost and revenue for providers.

Attendees learned about Xcel Energy’s vision and strategy around electric vehicles. View the video.