Major smart grid pilot takes a step forward

A major smart grid pilot is taking a significant step forward.

By Donna Donnawitz
June 27, 2012
The Pacific Northwest Smart Grid Demonstration Project, one of the largest smart grid pilots in United States, is about to take another stride toward more sustainable energy operations. The project partners involved in the initiative recently installed and turned on a transaction control system designed to integrate supply, demand and grid conditions over 11 different regional utility providers, CleanTechnica reported.

The ability to interconnect the various utility systems throughout the area should contribute to considerable gains for the region. According to the news source, integrating data from the diverse utility companies allows for the central management of power generation resources by giving providers more detailed information on the condition of the grid and power generation. This not only contributes to a more reliable grid system, but also enables more effective use of renewable energy resources, such as wind and solar power.

To illustrate the scope of the project, CleanTechnica pointed to an IEEE blog post written by Carl Imhoff, manager for the electricity infrastructure market sector at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Energy and Environment Directorates. In the blog, he explained that the new smart grid project will help organizations involved in the project transform the way they deliver power.

"We are in the midst of an impressive transformation of our electric power system. Technological advances are elevating the prospects of a more resilient, sustainable and efficient future power grid," Imhoff wrote, according to the news source. " Yet the question remains of how to get us there. What technologies work well? Can we make a business case for a ‘smarter’ grid that can help, for example, integrate renewable energy that is coming online at a tremendous rate? The Pacific Northwest Smart Grid Demonstration Project, or PNW-SGDP, the largest in the nation, is trying to answer some of those questions."

Integrating data between utility providers has the potential to be one of the greatest gains offered by smart grid technology. Effective data sharing allows for more efficient power generation by enabling generation sites to better understand the needs of the entire region. This insight, which can be gathered in real time when using smart grid, enables power generation companies to only create the amount of power necessary and not generate excess electricity in an effort to deal with unclear demand from multiple utility providers.

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