Smart Grid Blog

Senate Commerce Communications, Technology, and the Internet Subcommittee Chairman John Kerry, D-Mass., expressed “frustration” Tuesday that the Obama administration has not moved fast enough to build out the country’s electricity infrastructure. “I don’t often express frustrations publicly about things on the administration, but this is one … I don’t get it. I don’t understand … Continue reading →

You may already know this, but our power grid system has been largely left alone for half a century. We’re using inefficient grid technology to try to thread power across our country and in the process are losing precious energy and a lot of cash. As part of the infamous American Reinvestment and Recovery Act–or Continue reading →

Pennsylvania is strengthening its position as a leader in solar energy with new investments of more than $5 million in 13 new projects, Governor Edward G. Rendell said today. “We have made remarkable progress in making Pennsylvania a leader in renewable energy in a very short period of time,” said Governor Rendell. “We’ve invested nearly Continue reading →

Whenever we hear the word “nuclear,” we think of a tremendous mushroom cloud in a gloomy sky, followed by images of a desolate, uninhabitable, and barren land. For many of us, “nuclear” translates directly into “nuclear weapons.” We should not, however write off “nuclear” so easily, as the same technology used in such devastating weapons Continue reading →

The Department of Energy is offering $8 billion in loan guarantees to break ground on a new nuclear power plant in Maryland. Will this be the start of a nuclear building boom? Speaking in Lanham, Maryland, President Obama outlined a simple objective: Jump start nuclear power plant construction in the U.S., which hasn’t built a Continue reading →

The United States is in the midst of the largest energy grid modernization in its history. Last June, as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, President Obama announced the availability of $3.4 billion in grants to invest in smart grid technologies and the nation’s electric transmission infrastructure. Since then, 100 grant awards have Continue reading →

Last week, the Obama administration introduced a proposal that every college student in the country should know about. It represents the nation’s first comprehensive federal program for clean energy education, and it is a critical step toward regaining American leadership in one of the most important industries of our time. via Innovate America: Educating the Continue reading →

Consumers do not know how much energy they have been using until they get the bill that usually surprises them at the end of every month. Although a bit expensive, smart meters can be one of the answers to this problem and to the energy capacity distribution. via Smart Grid and the Future of Energy Continue reading →

The US Department of Energy (DoE) has released a list of smart grid stimulus grant awardees covering all major technology sectors related to the smart grid. On October 27, the Obama administration announced a grant of $3.4 billion for the single largest energy grid modernization program in the United States in recent history. This grant, Continue reading →

Itron (NASDAQ:ITRI) smart grid solutions have been recognized for their contribution to a robust clean energy economy by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The acknowledgement came as part of President Obama’s announcement to award $2.3 billion in Recovery Act Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credits for clean energy manufacturing projects across the United States. via Continue reading →

The Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) issued today an initial list of standards, a preliminary cyber security strategy, and other elements of a framework to support transforming the nation’s aging electric power system into an interoperable Smart Grid, a key component of the Obama administration’s energy plan and its strategy for Continue reading →

What will be the “killer app” of Smart Grid? Recently, President Obama announced grants of $3.4 billion for Smart Grid development. However, studies make it clear that given the mammoth size of the existing transmission and distribution (T&D) system, the new system will be built on the shoulders of the old. The existing T&D infrastructure Continue reading →

Green continues to be the hot color as we enter another decade, and sustainability efforts are still developing everywhere, particularly in Portland. Electric cars are charging into the auto sector, and more local businesses are offering sustainable products to draw in environmentally conscious consumers. But as the market becomes saturated with all kinds of green Continue reading →

Although generally left out of stimulus funding, the less glamorous side of cleantech — manufacturing — got its day in the spotlight when the Obama administration announced $2.3 billion in tax credits last week for 183 manufacturing projects in 43 states. via Smart Grid Manufacturers Struggle for Funding | SolveClimate.com.

Consumer backlash and cost concerns may cause delays in the nationwide rollout of “smart” utility meters at the center of the Obama administration’s $8 billion push to update the U.S. electricity grid. PG&E, owner of California’s largest utility, halted meter installations in Bakersfield, north of Los Angeles, after hundreds of customers complained that readings weren’t Continue reading →

The Obama administration begins dispensing $7.2 billion in grants and loans, funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, to expand broadband access and adoption across the country. Vice President Joe Biden announced Dec. 17 an initial $183 million investment in 18 broadband projects benefiting 17 states to lay a new foundation for high-speed Internet Continue reading →

In the run-up to Christmas, President Obama recently joked that Energy Secretary Steve Chu had asked him for a few million energy-efficient light bulbs as a holiday present. In Copenhagen this week, world leaders are debating greenhouse gases and a number of other initiatives, including energy efficiency. via Smart Grid: A Must for Energy Efficiency Continue reading →

While many companies are poised to benefit from the $3.4 billion in smart grid grants, the government funds may do more than just lend itself to telecom companies looking to expand their efforts in smart grid technology. When Obama announced the funding initiative in October, telecom companies and many U.S. states sprang to apply for Continue reading →

This country is on the cusp of a revolutionary change in how electricity is generated, used and monitored, a seismic shift that will be made possible by the widespread use of smart meters. In October, President Obama announced $3.4 billion in smart grid grants, with Colorado getting $24.2 million to enable smart meter installation in Continue reading →

Pacific Gas & Electricity has won one of the Obama Administration’s 16 advanced grid awards totaling $620 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds, aimed at making more renewable energy available to the grid. PG&E’s $25 million award will fund initial work to see if California can store its excess night time wind Continue reading →