DOE Announces Next Round of Smart Grid Stimulus Money
NOV 24 '09 | Bob Gilligan, Vice President, GE Energy, T&D
In its second smart grid funding announcement since October, the DOE announced its selection of demonstration grant recipients during an event at American Electric Power’s Dolan Laboratory in Columbus, Ohio. AEP is the recipient of a $75 million grant.
The
ItsYourSmartGrid blog provides a venue
for information and
idea sharing...
...on
the environmental, societal, political and economic
implications of a smarter grid.
As the vice president of GE Energy’s transmission & distribution business, I am pleased to see that the DOE recognizes the importance of investing in innovative smart grid solutions to expedite the commercial advancement of these transformative technologies.
The grants awarded today will support regional demonstration projects that will integrate and combine technologies to form the holistic solutions needed to prove out the business case for large-scale deployments going forward. In fact, the smart grid demonstration projects announced this afternoon will establish a ‘proving ground’ for next-generation smart grid tools, techniques, and solutions – from advanced energy storage, to smart appliances, to the integration of plug-in electric vehicles.
Based on the holistic nature of projects being funded, we should expect to see the focus of headlines shift from meters to milestones in the near future, which will be a tremendous turning point for our industry. For AEP, the $75 million grant will help them flip the switch on one of the nation’s most holistic smart grid demo projects, which will help prove the impact of smart grid inside and outside of the home.
This new smart grid stimulus money should not be confused with the investment grants announced last month, which will contribute to projects based on 'commercially available' products. Today’s announcement will fund new technologies and approaches that will help establish the United States as a global leader in smart grid advancement and open doors for U.S. companies to become net exporters of advanced smart grid solutions.
I applaud the federal government for its ongoing commitment to smart grid progress. Ultimately, these projects will help us identify the best approach for delivering reliability, efficiency and clean-energy technologies across the electrical network, while empowering consumers to better manage their energy consumption and costs. Our environment, our economy, and our future will be better for it.
What else should government be doing to expedite smart grid and related technologies? Send me your thoughts.
comments
User comments posted on this site are not verified or endorsed by GE and do not necessarily reflect the opinions, ideas or policies of GE. GE and its affiliates shall not be responsible for and disclaim all liability for all comments posted to this blog.
