The smart grid is expected to provide benefits to Utilities, Consumers & society in the following areas

Area	Utility	Consumer	Society
Improved Reliability	Reduced operational cost Increased employee safety Increased revenue Higher customer satisfaction Reduced capital cost	Improved level of service with fewer inconveniences Reduced out-of-pocket costs resulting from loss of power	Reduction in cost ultimately help keeping the prices of goods and services lower than they would be otherwise Virtual elimination of blackouts Improved infrastructure boosts economic development
Improved Economics	opportunities to leverage its resources and enter new markets Increased revenues as theft of service is reduced Improved cash flow from more efficient management of billing and revenue management processes A flatter load profile will reduce operating and maintenance (O&M) costs	Downward pressure on energy prices and total customer bills Increased capability, opportunity, and motivation to reduce consumption Opportunity to interact with the electricity markets through home area network and smart meter connectivity Opportunity to reduce transportation costs by using electric vehicles in lieu of conventional vehicles Opportunity to sell consumerproduced electricity back to the grid	A more robust transmission grid will accommodate larger increases in wind and solar generation i.e. green energy. Downward pressure on prices — through improved operating and market efficiencies Creation of new electricity markets — enabling society to offer its electricity resources to the market and creating the opportunity to earn a revenue stream on such investments as demand response, distributed generation, and storage
Improved Efficiency	Increase asset utilization Reduction in lines losses on both transmission and distribution Reduction in transmission congestion costs Reductions in peak load and energy consumption leading to deferral of future capital investments Increased asset data and intelligence enabling advanced control and improved operator understanding Extended life of system assets through improved asset “health” management Improved employee productivity through the use of smart grid information that improves O&M processes Improved load forecasting enabling more accurate predictions on when new capital investments are needed Reduced use of inefficient generation to meet system peaks	Increased capability, opportunity, and motivation to be more efficient on the consumption end of the value chain Increased influence on the electricity market	Deferral of capital investments as future peak loads are reduced and more accurately forecasted through the combined efforts of consumers and delivery companies Reduced consumption of KWh’s through conservation, demand response, and reduced transmission and distribution (T&D) losses
Improved Environment	Increased capability to integrate intermittent renewable resources Reduction in emissions as a result of more efficient operation, reduced system losses, and energy conservation Opportunity to improve environmental leadership image in the area of improving air quality and reducing its carbon footprint Increased capability to support the integration of electric-powered vehicles Reduction in frequency of transformer fires and oil spills through the use of advanced equipment failure / prevention technologies	Increased capability, opportunity, and motivation to shift to electric vehicle transportation Improved opportunity to optimize energy-consumption behaviour resulting in a positive environmental impact Increased opportunity to purchase energy from clean resources, further creating a demand for the shift from a carbon-based to a “green economy”	Reduced CO2 emissions Improved public health