Energy Department Gives Millions To Smart Grid Projects

WASHINGTON, November 24, 2009 – The Department of Energy will provide more than $7 million to fund two Pennsylvania projects that are focused on advanced technologies that could be used to help build a more efficient electrical grid.

“These demonstration projects will further our knowledge and understanding of what works best and delivers the best results for the Smart Grid, setting the course for a modern grid that is critical to achieving our energy goals,” said Depart of Energy Secretary Steven Chu in a statement Tuesday. “This funding will be used to show how Smart Grid technologies can be applied to whole systems to promote energy savings for consumers, increase energy efficiency, and foster the growth of renewable energy sources like wind and solar power,” he said.

The Department of Energy said the funds are coming out of $620 million in funding allocated from an economic stimulus bill passed by Congress earlier this year. The $620 million, which will be leveraged with $1 billion in funds from the private sector, will support 32 Smart Grid demonstration projects across the country that will “include large-scale energy storage, smart meters, distribution and transmission system monitoring devices, and a range of other smart technologies and will act as models for deploying integrated Smart Grid systems on a broader scale.”