Smart Grid Blog

Governments, industry bodies, and electric utilities around the world are coming together with newfound urgency – spurred in some regions by copious amounts of economic stimulus funds – to stimulate the development of the Smart Grid. These initiatives are designed to improve the reliability of the electrical grid, reduce costs through increased operating efficiencies for Continue reading →

The vision of a smarter grid is of course a lovely thing to behold: an electric power system that’s much more interactive, interoperable, reliable, and robust—“self-healing,” even. That’s why so much excitement attended the news this time last year that the U.S. stimulus bill would contain billions of dollars in new funding to support smart Continue reading →

NYSE-listed energy efficiency company Progress Energy has received a $200m grant from the US Department of Energy (DOE) under the 2009 federal stimulus package for smart grid projects. via NewNet News – Progress Energy receives $200m federal smart grid grant.

The Naperville City Council on Tuesday night took the first step toward the eventual installation of up to 57,000 smart meters in homes that will allow the city and rate-payers to monitor electric use and hopefully lower energy bills, reduce outages and shrink carbon footprints. Council members voted 7-0 to work with the United States Continue reading →

American Transmission Co. has entered into two agreements with the United States Department of Energy, accepting investment grants totaling $12.7 million to invest in smart grid technologies to be incorporated into ATC’s transmission system. “We are pleased to enter into these agreements and take part in the effort to more fully deploy smart grid technologies Continue reading →

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 Continue reading →

Money is starting to move in the market targeting municipal power utilities aiming to read citizen power usage remotely through automated meters. In October 2009, the U.S. Department of Energy DOE subsidized 100 utilities with $3.4 billion set aside in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for smart grid initiatives. Smart grids use the aforementioned Continue reading →

The X PRIZE Foundation, which seeks to encourage innovation through multi-million dollar prize awards, has said it is looking to launch new prizes to encourage clean energy development. The California-based non-profit that has previously rewarded private missions into space said on Friday it will hand out $100 million in prizes over the next 10 years, Continue reading →

Cleantech industry leaders worry the U.S. government is picking the country's energy winners with its hefty fiscal stimulus handouts, when the market could be better equipped for that task, a new survey shows. The U.S. Department of Energy hopes to give or loan $110 billion in stimulus funds to cleantech businesses dealing in everything from Continue reading →

Remember the Pepco guy coming to your house to read the meter? It looks like those days might be over soon. Six months after landing $168.1 million in federal stimulus funds, Pepco is now set to begin building smart grid projects in DC, Maryland and New Jersey. via Pepco Set to Start $168.1 Million in Continue reading →

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 Continue reading →

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 Continue reading →

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 Continue reading →

State Sen. Andy Berke (D-Chattanooga) congratulates the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga for winning $2.4 million in federal stimulus funds to develop training programs for electrical smart grid technology. “With these funds, UT-Chattanooga will be able to provide students with the knowledge and training necessary to obtain the jobs of the future,” Berke said. “Smart grid technology Continue reading →

The U.S. Department of Energy this week selected three smart-grid work force training programs in Washington to receive more than $11 million in funding. The programs are preparing workers in the utility and electrical manufacturing industries to modernize the nation’s electrical grid and implement smart-grid technologies. The funding for Washington programs is part of nearly Continue reading →

Syracuse University this week received a federal stimulus grant of $2.5 million to develop “smart grid” college programs for utility workers and engineers, and National Grid received nearly $2.2 million to train its own employees in smart grid technology. The grants were part of $100 million in funds awarded by the U.S. Department of Energy Continue reading →

Ohio State University is getting nearly $2.5 million in federal stimulus money that the school is to use for developing an electric “smart grid” curriculum and training programs. The award is part of $99.3million in stimulus grants announced last week by the U.S. Department of Energy. via Stimulus aid to help OSU teach about ‘smart Continue reading →

The Department of Energy will give $100 million in grants to fund 54 smart grid workforce training programs. Ideally, 30,000 Americans will receive training to implement the smart grid programs that were funded by the DOE and private investors last year. via DOE Grants $100 Million For Smart Grid Training : Greentech Media.

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 Continue reading →

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 Continue reading →