Glendale Water & Power's (GWP) Smart Grid Project received the highest customer score of all smaller utilities and among the highest customer scores for all 93 utilities responding to the Smart Grid Maturity Model (SGMM) survey facilitated by the California Energy Commission Public Interest Energy Research Division's project, Defining the Pathway to California's 2020 Smart Grid for Publicly Owned Utilities.

GWP achieved the highest maturity level of all utilities surveyed in the areas of strategy, management and regulatory, and organization and structure. GWP's Smart Grid Maturity Level is more advanced than most other utilities, and Glendale is a pioneer in developing a corporate-level smart grid strategy. GWP's overall strategy focuses strongly on its customers.

“We are extremely pleased with the results from the CEC SGMM survey as it shows us we have laid down a strong foundation for our Smart Grid Project, and we can now focus on the customer experience and on the responsibility, sustainability and the efficiency of moving GWP into the smart grid,” stated Glenn Steiger, GWP general manager.

The SGMM is a management tool that helps utilities plan smart grid implementation, prioritize options and measure progress. Developed by utilities for utilities, the model is hosted by the Software Engineering Institute as a resource for industry transformation with the support of the U.S. Department of Energy and input from stakeholders.

The SGMM measures utilities in eight domains, from strategy implementation to societal and environmental responsibility, and ranks them from 1 to 5 on their maturity model. GWP scored in the highest maturity (5) for breaking new ground, having an industry-leading innovation in the strategy and the organizational structure of its smart grid project — two of the most important domains that will ensure a successful project down the line.

For additional information, visit www.glendalewaterandpower.com.