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Smart Grid
NETL's Smart Grid Implementation Strategy
A self-renewing energy source, a smart grid can balance
how energy is used during peak and off-peak hours.
The Department of Energy's (DOE) Smart Grid Implementation Strategy (SGIS, formerly the Modern Grid Strategy) began at the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) in 2005. SGIS supports DOE's mission to "protect our national and economic security by promoting a diverse supply and delivery of reliable, affordable, and environmentally sound energy"
A Smart Grid is an "intelligent," self-renewing energy source that can moderate demand for electricity, balancing usage during peak and off-peak hours. By keeping tabs on how electricity is being used, it offers a remote system for controlling anything that requires electricity. For example, its two-way communications system — comprising smart meters, sensors, and control rooms — could prompt home appliances to run at off-peak times, reducing grid demand and energy costs. By adopting a Smart Grid, the U.S. will be able to:
- Put downward pressure on energy costs
- Promote national security through energy independence
- Lower the frequency of blackouts
- Create jobs
- Conserve natural resources
The Importance of Updating Our Current System
While many nations around the world in Europe, Asia, and the Persian Gulf have been working to update their electricity grids, the U.S. is still operating on a grid that was designed more than 50 years ago. Since then, the nation's energy needs have grown to its highest levels ever, in line with increasing consumption demands from the proliferation of cell phones, computers, and other technologies.
SGIS works to accelerate the modernization of the U.S. electricity grid — developing a common vision of what a national, 21st century Smart Grid will look like by partnering with utilities, energy organizations, and other stakeholders, such as consumers.
