Back in September 2009 I blogged about six rules that tell you when you have a Smart Grid. The third rule is: You know you have a Smart Grid when the transmission and distribution portions of the grid are optimized for distributed energy generation/storage. This rule becomes reality when microgrids are ubiquitous. The Smart Grid Continue reading →
transmission
This research report about selected Smart Grid components presents an in-depth analysis of the development, applications, products, manufacturers, and trends in the development of transmission and distribution (T&D) system automation, energy storage, and microgrids in the United States and around the world. T&D system automation is vital to smart grid development, is badly in need of repair, and has not Continue reading →
Technology available today can be employed to create viable, sustainable, smart cities. That will be the message that Bob Gilligan, vice president–transmission and distribution for GE Energy Services, will deliver to delegates at the Chatham House conference, “The Future of Cities.” via GE Smart Grid Technologies Build Sustainable 21st Century Cities – MarketWatch.
Public Service Electric & Gas Co. has proposed expansion of an existing 230-kilowatt power line and approximately 80-foot towers from Berwick, Pa. to Roseland. It is proposing a double circuit line with one circuit being operated at 500 kV and the second circuit being energized at 230 kV. The existing single line now on the right-of-way Continue reading →
The Smart Grid industry is a veritable tower of Babel when it comes to terminology, jargon, and acronyms. There are several reasons for this starting with the number of domains that comprise the Smart Grid. The conceptual model for the Smart Grid maps out Generation, Transmission, and Distribution, plus Markets, Operations, Service Providers, and Consumption. 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 →
The General Electric plant on Main Street could be at the beginning of a new wave of prosperity fueled by demand for smart grid technology. The company employs 378 people, which is up from the 220 people it employed there in February 2008, and has three shifts to produce its new line of electronic meters. Continue reading →
A sweeping overhaul is coming to the 157,000 miles of high-voltage electric transmission lines that crisscross the U.S., delivering energy to 130 million homes. But the changes are happening one laptop-sized machine at a time. These small computers, being installed in homes and businesses around the country, will essentially create a two-way line of communication Continue reading →
Modernizing the US grid is a mammoth task, one that is spurring new lines of thought about generation and transmission resources. Renegades, some may call them, but people have lived off-grid for decades by relying exclusively on solar panels for electricity. Disconnected from their local utility, they have no central back-up and no reliability. Most Continue reading →
National Grid’s electric utility business is anything but static. The utility is expected to file a new rate case with state regulators next year that could seek an increase in delivery charges and also alter the company’s traditional rate structure to help it maintain its revenue base even as consumers use less energy. And the Continue reading →
GE has signed an agreement to help bring the performance,efficiency and reliability gains of smart grid technology to Korea, the company announced today. GEwill work together with Korea’s NURI Telecom Ltd. to build an advanced smart grid infrastructure in Korea. “GE recognizes the importance of collaborating with technology and delivery partners to realize thepromise of Continue reading →
German engineering giant Siemens is buying Energy4U, a consultancy that helps utilities implement management software that is made by SAP. It’s an example of one way smaller companies and startups can fit into the emerging smart grid industry by helping two giants talk to each other. Siemens didn’t disclose what it paid for 60 percent Continue reading →
New Yorkers have a unique opportunity in the coming days and weeks to help shape their energy future. Under the direction of Gov. David A. Paterson, the state Energy Planning Board has developed a draft energy plan for New York. It is a thorough and comprehensive look at our energy needs, supplies and delivery systems Continue reading →
Although the smart grid has just recently become a topic of the American public’s interest, lawmakers were well aware of its importance several years ago. The development of this much-needed grid upgrade is dependent upon the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA), which declares it the policy of the United States government to Continue reading →
Like many places around the world, California has big goals in terms of renewable energy. The US state has set a target of obtaining 33% of the its electricity from renewables by 2020. While integrating large solar farms around the state and sourcing green energy from other states will help meet that goal, a major Continue reading →
U.S. energy policy is at a crossroads. At the forefront of discussion is generating clean power and reducing dependency on foreign oil. However the issue is resolved, the outcome will affect the future of every American. If carried out correctly, renewable power generation will spur development of the smart grid and will serve to create Continue reading →
Progress Energy has applied for $200 million in federal funds to help build out an electric “smart grid” in its Carolinas and Florida territories, the Raleigh-based utility announced Wednesday. The U.S. Department of Energy is awarding $4.5 billion in smart grid grants nationwide as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Smart Continue reading →
Judy Miiller of Mitchell wants to do right by the environment. It’s not that simple. Her daughter, Trisha, is buying her first place in Sioux Falls and needs all her appliances, which account for almost 65 percent of all electricity used in the home. In a tumultuous economy, on a budget, it’s not easy to Continue reading →
Vermont’s utilities are seeking $66 million in federal stimulus funds to deploy smart grid technology across the state. If successful, the grant would pay up to half the $133 million statewide cost for a system that includes automated metering, customer enhancements, grid automation and security technologies, the utilities announced in a joint press release Friday. Continue reading →
People argue about climate change, about peak oil, biofuels, carbon footprints, about, well, almost everything. But at the core seems to be energy — its generation, transmission and use. The grandest house in the grandest suburb in the country isn’t worth much without energy to heat it or cool it. The grandest car ever made Continue reading →
