ATLANTA — August 14, 2014 — GE’s Digital Energy business (NYSE: GE) today released the results of its Grid Resiliency Survey, measuring the U.S. public’s current perception of the power grid, its experiences and future expectations. The survey was implemented following a very active 2014 winter storm season that led to several power outages, impacting millions of Americans.
According to the survey, conducted by Harris Poll on behalf of GE in May and June, among more than 2,000 U.S. adults ages 18 and over, 41 percent of Americans living east of the Mississippi River are more willing to pay an additional $10 per month to ensure the grid is more reliable compared to 34 percent of those living west of the Mississippi. The survey also found that in the past 12 months, consumers living east of the Mississippi experienced nearly three times more power outages on average than those living west of the Mississippi (3.1 vs. 1.3). Of all adults in the U.S. who experienced an outage, more than half (56 percent) were without power for at least one hour during their most recent outage.
“The survey results are an indicator that consumers want to invest in technology to prevent power outages and reduce the time it takes their local utility to restore power,” said John McDonald, director of technical strategy and policy development, GE’s Digital Energy business. “We live in an on-demand world that depends on electricity—one where productivity, food, entertainment and even chores can be achieved with the touch of a button. Our appetite for automatic is so great that millions of American adults would be willing to pay more on their utility bills to maintain their electrified lifestyles.”
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