U.S. energy consumers are increasingly aware and broadly supportive of the smart grid, but relatively few of them participate in most smart-grid related programs and products, according to a study released last week. Nearly three-fourths of U.S. consumers have at least heard of smart meters and the smart grid, according to a longitudinal study published by the Smart Grid Consumer Collaborative (SGCC), an Atlanta-based nonprofit that does market research for industry stakeholders on energy consumers.