Idaho part of $178M smart grid demo project 
by admin
Published: November 24,2009
Time posted: 1:00 am
A Northwest team has been selected by the U.S. Department of Energy to conduct a regional smart grid demonstration project designed to expand existing electric infrastructure and test new smart grid technology with up to 60,000 customers in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming.
The $178 million Pacific Northwest Smart Grid Demonstration Project was one of 16 regional smart grid demonstration awards announced by DOE on Nov. 24. The regional utility-scale projects were part of a total $620 million DOE authorized for smart grid demos around the country. The Pacific Northwest team combines energy providers, utilities, vendors and research organizations, and will be managed by Battelle.
Under the study, new combinations of devices, software and advanced analytical tools will be tested to enhance the power grid’s reliability and performance. At its peak, the project could create about 1,500 jobs in manufacturing, installation and operation of smart grid equipment, telecommunications networks, software and controls, DOE reported.
Teams will install equipment and technology in 2010 and 2011. Then, for the next two to three years, project leaders will gather data on smart grid performance from 15 test sites that represent the region’s varying terrain, weather and demographics.
Test sites range from Fox Island, in Washington State’s Puget Sound, to the Teton Mountains in western Wyoming. The project will involve more than 112 megawatts of power, enough to serve 86,000 households.
DOE will provide half the funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The project’s participants, primarily utilities and technology companies, will provide the remaining funds. Some of the companies supporting the project include 3TIER Inc., Areva USA, IBM, Netezza Corp., and a team from QualityLogic, Inc. and the Drummond Group, Inc.
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