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Discuss the Smart Grid. Is the Cost Worth the Benefit?

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“Smart grid” generally refers to a class of technology people are using to bring utility electricity delivery systems into the 21st century, using computer-based remote control and automation. (Office of Electricity Delivery & Energy Reliability, n.d.) A key feature of the smart grid is automation technology that lets the utility adjust and control each individual device or millions of devices from a central location. In December 2007, Congress passed, and the President approved, Title XIII of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA). EISA provided the legislative support for DOE’s smart grid activities and reinforced its role in leading and coordinating national grid modernization efforts. President Obama has announced the largest single grid modernization investment in U.S. history, funding a broad range of technologies to spur the nation's transition to a smarter, stronger, more efficient and reliable electric system. This will promote energy-saving choices for consumers, increase energy efficiency, and foster the growth of renewable energy sources like wind and solar power. Congress enacted the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) to create new jobs and save existing ones, stimulate economic activity, and invest in long-term growth. The $3.4 billion in investments, as part of the Recovery Act, will be matched by industry funding for a total public-private investment worth over $8 billion. (Office of Electricity Delivery & Energy Reliability, n.d.)

Although the Smart Grid projects will be costly, their benefits really outweigh the expenses. First, the Smart Grid can address the current power grid's shortcomings that, in the short-term run, electricity cannot be stored when it was generated, and, in the long-term run, it cannot be prepared for the future use when a growing population continues to plug more and more power-hungry gadgets and appliances into the grid. According to projections from America's Energy Information Administration, electricity generation around the world will nearly double from about 17.3 trillion kilowatt-hours (kWh) in 2005 to 33.3 trillion kWh in 2030. Poor countries will show the strongest growth in electricity generation, increasing by an average of 4% per year from 2005 to 2030, compared with 1.3% per year for their richer counterparts. In some countries, including America, the grid has not kept up with the growth in demand for power. (The Economist, 2009) So, Smart Grid is really needed to overcome the natural shortcomings of electricity so that future generations will not get into the trouble with the shortage of electricity supply. Second, a more efficient system could also do wonders for the environment. The DOE estimates that if the grid were merely 5 percent more efficient, the energy savings would equal the fuel and greenhouse emissions from 53 million cars. As the United States accounts for 25 percent of the world's greenhouse emissions, this change could go a long way toward reducing the effects of climate change. (Lamb, n.d.) Third, the Smart Grid can be seen as a protective measure for American electricity security. The grid's centralized structure provides a tantalizing target to anyone wanting to do something to it so as to set off a domino effect. (Lamb, n.d.)

Considering the smart grid assets, the Smart Grid projects can help improve cost effectiveness, reliability, and energy efficiency of the power system. Broad categories corresponding to the benefits can be derived: managing peak load capacity for generation, transmission, and distribution; reducing costs for wholesale operations; providing enhanced reliability/adequate reliability at less cost; providing ancillary services; reducing the operational costs of integrating renewables; and leveraging the network for energy efficiency and carbon savings. (U.S. Department of Energy, 2010, PNNL-19112, Revision 1 ) Although the previous amount of money inputs are huge, the outcomes may give us a big surprise. For example, according to Dr. Massoud Amin, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Director of the Technological Leadership Institute at the University of Minnesota, the 2009 government stimulus plan funding and matching support from utilities and the private sector in the Smart Grid Investment Grant (SGIG) and Smart Grid Demonstration Project (SGDP) programs generated a significant impact on the U.S. economy: As of March 2012, the total invested value of $2.96 billion to support smart grid projects generated at least $6.8 billion in total economic output, and about 47,000 full time equivalent jobs supported by investments. Smart grid vendors, including an ecosystem of manufacturers, information technology and technical services providers, has provided about 12,000 direct jobs opportunities. (IEEE, 2013)

Citations:
IEEE. (2013, 9 4). Smart Grid Consumer Benefits. Retrieved from IEEE: http://smartgrid.ieee.org/questions-and-answers/964-smart-grid-consumer-benefits
Lamb, R. (n.d.). How the Smart Grid Will Work. Retrieved from HowStuffWorks: http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-science/smart-grid.htm
Office of Electricity Delivery & Energy Reliability. (n.d.). Recovery Act: Smart Grid Investment Grants. Retrieved from ENERGY.GOV: http://energy.gov/oe/technology-development/smart-grid/recovery-act-smart-grid-investment-grants
Office of Electricity Delivery & Energy Reliability. (n.d.). Smart Grid. Retrieved from ENERGY.GOV: http://energy.gov/oe/services/technology-development/smart-grid
The Economist. (2009, 6 4). Building the smart grid. Retrieved from The Economist: http://www.economist.com/node/13725843
U.S. Department of Energy. (2010, PNNL-19112, Revision 1 ). The Smart Grid: An Estimation of the Energy and CO2 Benefits. U.S. Department of Energy.

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