In 2011 and 2013, the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability (DOE OE), in partnership with electric utilities, convened a series of regional smart grid peer-to-peer workshops. The workshops were designed to bring together key stakeholders to engage in peer-to-peer dialogues around the most compelling smart grid topics in the region. The meetings offered a platform for smart grid implementers, at all stages of project deployment, to share their experiences and learn from others in the field. Discussions at each workshop underscored the changing nature of the utility-customer relationship and the need for utilities to effectively communicate the benefits smart grid technologies. Building on the success of the workshops and in response to industry need, DOE OE convened a Smart Grid Customer Engagement Working Group to develop a guide of industry best practices for smart grid customer engagement.