Smart Grid Blog

Many see the electric and power utility industry as a huge dinosaur that is slow to respond to new challenges. However, there are a number of leaders that are quickly embracing smart grid and renewable energy technologies and approaches.

The leading utilities for this year were just announced by IDC Energy Insights and Intelligent Utility magazine in their annual UtiliQ rankings, designed to measure the progress utilities are making on the path to intelligent energy.

via Top 10 ’smartest’ utilities for 2010 announced – SmartPlanet.

A new report out by the Council of Economic Advisors (CEA), analyzing the economic and job creation impact of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), finds that the ARRA saved or created millions of jobs. Additionally, one of the areas where Recovery Act funds are stimulating the most private investment is the clean energy sector.

via 2.5 to 3.6 Million Jobs Created or Saved by Recovery Act, Many in Clean Energy : CleanTechnica.

Ohio-based FirstEnergy is on its way to make a transition over to smart grid and the company has signed an agreement with Department of Energy for a huge grant.

In a recent press release, FirstEnergy Corp. announced that it has been awarded $57.4 million grant by the Department of Energy (DOE) as a part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The money will be expended on the introduction of “smart grid” technologies to improve the reliability and interactivity of the electric distribution infrastructure in targeted areas of its Pennsylvania, Ohio and New Jersey service territories.

via FirstEnergy Awarded DOE Grants to Initiate Smart Grid Transition in Select Pennsylvania Regions.

Central Electric Cooperative will receive $4.65 million in matching funds from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to deploy smart grid technologies.

The grant, provided under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, will enable CEC to replace more than 30,000 existing meters with advanced metering technology.

via Central Electric to Deploy Smart Grid Technologies – myCentralOregon.com.

Today, Itron Inc. (NASDAQ:ITRI) president and CEO Malcolm Unsworth, and two workers representing Itron’s U.S.-based manufacturing, joined President Obama at the White House for a press event highlighting successful American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) investments.

Itron manufactures its industry-leading smart grid and smart metering technology in two of its four U.S.-based facilities – in Oconee, S.C., and Waseca, Minn. Both locations are benefiting from the administration’s economic recovery efforts, including expanded production capacity and more domestic jobs.

via Itron Joins President Obama in the Rose Garden as Part of Recovery Act Investment Update on Environmental Expert.

In the suddenly zooming story of electric cars, it’s the cars themselves that have tended to hog the spotlight.

Later this year, Nissan and GM will be the first to unveil their hyped first attempts at cars they hope will appeal to both America’s inner motorist and its inner environmentalist: cars that get much or all of their fuel from electricity.

But others, including the White House, are devoting more attention to a larger, almost society-wide, task: preparing Americans to use electric cars in a way that actually cuts their electric bills and benefits the climate.

via How Will People Adapt to Electric Cars? | 4EVRiders.org – Charging Locator and News on Electric and Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles.

The University of Colorado at Boulder announced that the U.S. Department of Energy has awarded it $2.4 million in Recovery Act funding for building a smart grid workforce training program.

With the help of this funding, the university will be able to build an engineering graduate program focused on smart grid technologies, which will focus on networking, wireless communications, and cyber security within electric power systems. Colorado hopes to receive at least $6.7 billion in Recovery Act funds through more than 100 different programs.

via University Of Colorado at Boulder Receives $2.4M in DOE Recovery Act Funds.

UH M?noa's College of Engineering, with the support of Hawaiian Electric Company, has been awarded a $2.5-million American Recovery and Reinvestment Act stimulus grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to train students and current workers for emerging jobs in clean and renewable energy technologies in the electric power industry.

Officially titled, “Integrated Education and Research in Clean Energy and Island Sustainability,” the project is a major component of UH M?noa’s Renewable Energy and Island Sustainability (REIS) program. Led by Electrical Engineering Professor Anthony Kuh, REIS seeks to establish a prominent national and international program in renewable energy at the university. UH M?noa will use these funds to create a multi-disciplinary program of formal courses and hands-on research experience in clean energy technologies, renewable energy production, energy storage, integration and smart grid technologies.

via M?noa: College of Engineering awarded $2.5 million to develop clean energy program | University of Hawaii News.

Deloitte today released results of a survey of 70 clean tech, high tech and energy industry executives which finds that a majority of industry leaders believe President Obama's $787 billion stimulus bill (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) will foster technology and innovation, stimulate economic growth and create jobs. However, the survey also shows that the majority of respondents have not or do not plan to apply for stimulus funding in the foreseeable future.

The survey, conducted in conjunction with Cleantech Group on the eve of the one-year anniversary of President Obama’s stimulus package, targeted key leaders in the clean tech sector to get insights on how the stimulus bill has impacted the economy and what the future might hold for the clean tech industry.

via PR-CANADA.net – Deloitte/Cleantech Group Survey: Clean Tech Executives Believe Stimulus Package Will Foster Innovati.

2010 will be a blockbuster year for the American Clean Tech industry as billions of dollars in Stimulus money draw in private capital and create tens of thousands of jobs. But when the money runs out, and without a price on carbon, what’s next for Clean Tech? Join us to discuss what’s at stake for America’s Clean Economy and how policy makers can maintain the momentum of the Stimulus.

Event Time and Location
Friday, April 23, 2010 – 9:00am – 10:30am
Capital Visitor’s Center
East Capitol St, N.E. & First St, N.E. Congressional Meeting Room South
Washington, DC, 20543

via After the Stimulus, What’s Next For Clean Tech? | NewAmerica.net.

Peco Energy Company, the Pennsylvania subsidiary of Exelon Corp. (NYSE: EXC), has entered into an agreement with the Department of Energy, accepting a $200 million grant for setting up a smart electric grid across Greater Philadelphia, according to an 8-K filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

via Citybizlist Philadelphia – Peco Energy Signs $200 Million Deal with DoE for Developing Smart Grid in Philadelphia – cbl.

Accenture, a consulting company at the forefront of many IT and infrastructure projects, outlined some of its smart grid efforts at its analyst meeting last week and CEO Bill Green shed some light on the state of the U.S. stimulus funding. In an odd twist, the U.S. government’s effort to prime the economic pump may have actually delayed some smart grid development projects.

Simply put, the stimulus funding, known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, is still making its way to infrastructure projects but the impact on the health care, public sector and smart grid has been fairly limited.

via Accenture: U.S. stimulus may have slowed down smart grid projects – SmartPlanet.

A recent new market special issue of The Zweig Letter, the flagship publication of ZweigWhite, outlines the reasons why more firms are getting involved in smart grid work and the myriad opportunities that should be available in this arena.

“With regards to smart grid, we’re on the brink of a flood of smart grid projects,” says Wanda Reder, chairwoman of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Smart Grid Task Force. “The federal government released $4.3 billion in economic stimulus money for smart grid through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in December,” she says.

via ZweigWhite: More firms getting involved with smart grid work – 2010-03-16 06:04:06 | Building Design & Construction.

The lack of federal legislation for energy-related reform in 2004 left the electrical transmission system, known as the grid, in dismal shape as electrical use continued to climb very rapidly.

According to an article in the November 2009 issue of Baseline magazine entitled, “Is the Smart Grid a dumb idea” by Dave Greenfield: “The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, better known as the ‘Stimulus Bill’, added the necessary money to focus on grid modernization, allocating $4.5 billion toward [smart] grid efforts.”

How will this money be spent, and will it help transform the antiquated electrical infrastructure into a smart grid that can meet the demands of the twenty-first century? More importantly, can the U.S. discuss and resolve the issues involved in developing a smart grid?

via Is the Smart Grid Possible?: Can Our Electrical Grid be Modernized?.

Black Hills Corp.’s electric utilities will receive $20.7 million in stimulus grants from the U.S. Department of Energy for “smart grid” projects in Colorado, Wyoming and South Dakota.

Rapid City, S.D.-based Black Hills (NYSE: BKH) has a corporate office in Golden. Its utility arm serves 759,000 power customers in southern Colorado as well as neighboring states. It also generates wholesale electricity and produces natural gas, oil and coal.

via Black Hills Corp. gets $20.7M from stimulus for smart-grid projects in Colorado, Wyo., S.D. – Denver Business Journal:.

Black Hills Corp. (NYSE: BKH) announced today that it has successfully reached agreement with the Department of Energy for smart grid funding through grants totaling $20.7 million for its electric utility subsidiaries, Black Hills Energy – Colorado Electric, Black Hills Power and Cheyenne Light, Fuel & Power. The funds are made available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and, combined with matching investments from the Black Hills electric utilities, enable the installation of about 149,000 smart meters and related infrastructure investments.

via Black Hills Corp. and Department of Energy Reach Agreement for Smart Grid Funding — RAPID CITY, S.D., April 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ –.

NRG Energy Inc’s (NRG – Snapshot Report) retail electricity business, Reliant Energy, has received a $20 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to develop and deliver innovative energy solutions for Texas electricity customers. As a part of the contract, Reliant Energy plans to expand the rollout of smart energy solutions, using the smart grid technology, to Texas residents.

Reliant is the only competitive electricity provider in Texas to have been selected to receive a grant through American Reinvestment and Recovery Act.

via Reliant Energy Gets $20M Grant – Zacks.com.

The primary subject at this year’s DistribuTECH Conference and Exhibition in Tampa, Florida was Smart Grid. Smart Grid is a new architecture for enabling the two-way flow of electricity and information. With a federal investment of $10.5 billion under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, it is no wonder this subject dominated the conference and exhibition hall.

via Smart Grid Technology Major Topic at DistribuTECH 2010 – Technorati Technology.

Reliant Energy has finalized its contract with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for approximately $20 million in funding to develop and deliver innovative energy solutions for Texas electricity customers. Reliant is the only competitive electricity provider in Texas to have been selected to receive a grant through American Reinvestment and Recovery Act.

via Reliant Energy and DOE Finalize $20 Million Stimulus Grant Agreement To Expand Rollout of Smart Energy Solutions to Texas Residents – MarketWatch.

Westar Energy, Inc. (NYSE: WR) today announced that it has reached agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for funding under the Smart Grid Investment Grant program. Westar will now move forward with its SmartStar Lawrence project, bringing advanced smart grid technology to the Lawrence, Kan. area.

via U.S. Department of Energy Approves Westar Energy’s Smart Grid Funding Application.