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Smart Grid

The Opportunities And Pitfalls Of Managing Smart Grid Data

May 16, 2012 by Joseph Romm
with 143 views
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At the advent of the Internet 30 years ago, having large amounts of personal information accessible on a shared network would have been unthinkable — even if that network would make our lives easier. But we found a way to navigate this privacy minefield with one straightforward idea: Entrust our personal information to certain entities... [read more]

Managing Peaks without Overbuilding the Electric Grid

May 15, 2012 by Christine Hertzog
with 342 views
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3DDock/Shutterstock

The old wireline Bell telephone system was built for Mother’s Day. The Bell system network planners knew that this one day in May was the mother of all phone call traffic peaks in the USA. They designed their networks for that anticipated capacity. The network planners had an 11th Commandment that influenced their operations: “Thou shalt... [read more]

The Smarter the Grid, the Less You Should Notice It

May 13, 2012 by Tyler Hamilton
with 304 views
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Image courtesy of author

The smart grid is more than just smart meters. My Clean Break column this week takes a look at how Toronto Hydro is trying to modernize its electrical distribution system with a range of smart-grid technologies that don’t get much press.  ---Richard Ford doesn’t like the term smart grid. “It means different things to different... [read more]

The 21st Century Energy Transformation will be an Evolution, not a Revolution

May 9, 2012 by Sonita Lontoh
with 520 views
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smartgrid.gov

The possibilities to become active participants in the 21st century energy evolution are plentiful. But to succeed in it, one needs to understand the fundamentals of the business and have the strategic focus, resolve, and patience to ride it for the long run. [read more]

Is An Electricity Négociant in our Future?

May 7, 2012 by Christine Hertzog
with 406 views
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David Kay/Shutterstock

Ahh, California.  The land of milk and honey.   And wine – lots of it.  Silicon Valley denizens like me can find vineyards and wineries within a 30 minute drive in any direction.  So it stands to reason that we’re more focused on the wine business than other parts of the country.  There’s a term that is... [read more]

Can the Utility Industry Keep Its Momentum?

May 3, 2012 by Dick DeBlasio
with 186 views
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Pi-Lens/Shutterstock

The necessity of modernizing the world’s electricity-delivery grids has captured worldwide consensus over the last decade, and important and informative strides toward that goal have been taken around the globe.But, as we enter a critical period of transition in smart-grid development, a key question arises: Can—or, more precisely, will—... [read more]

Should We Spend More Time Educating Utilities Instead of Consumers?

May 1, 2012 by Christine Hertzog
with 340 views
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egd/Shutterstock

Do most Americans spend eight or more hours of their days thinking about electricity?  No.  They spend their days worrying about more important things, like how to convince their children to sensibly use various social media channels; saving enough for retirement; and securing help for aging relatives.  In other words,... [read more]

Backfilling Nuclear Shutdowns With Efficiency And Renewables In Japan, Germany And California?

April 30, 2012 by Joseph Romm
with 220 views
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Electric utilities and policymakers in Japan and Germany have been scrambling for months to find ways to compensate for nuclear power plants shut down in the aftermath of Fukushima.In both instances, fossil fuels are part of the stopgap solution to offset the declines in nuclear generation in the short term, but longer-term energy... [read more]

Sprint-ing, not walking, the ‘talk’ to achieve sustainability goals

April 26, 2012 by Jim Pierobon
with 198 views
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It’s becoming more clear every day that cleaner energy and environmental sustainability depends on private industry.The expiration of many renewable energy incentives, zero prospects for a U.S. carbon tax or a cap and trade program, restraints on public spending and the low price and growing supplies of natural gas are putting... [read more]

Five Reasons Planet Earth Likes the Smart Grid

April 23, 2012 by Christine Hertzog
with 415 views
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The Union of Concerned Scientists released a new guide titled “Cooler Smarter: Practical Steps for Low-Carbon Living” that offers practical steps Americans can adopt to reduce carbon emissions.  The largest contributor of carbon emissions is the internal combustion engine in a car.   The UCS’s top recommendation is that... [read more]

Pink on Green: How to Ignite the Second Electrical Revolution

April 20, 2012 by Benjamin Lack
with 142 views
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The electric industry is good at building things. That’s how it solves problems. Is there a threat of blackouts? Develop a new natural gas-fired plant. Worried about climate change? Build wind and solar power. Does electricity cost too much? Install a transmission line to import cheaper power.But build-to-solve represents only half of... [read more]

Smart Meter Opt Out Options Grow In California

April 20, 2012 by Nino Marchetti
with 318 views
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More California residents wanting to opt out of smart meters were given their chance today as the California Public Utility Commission (CPUC) approved such choices for Southern California Edison (SCE) and San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) customers. Like with Pacific Gas and Electronic (PG&E) customers earlier this year... [read more]

Our Electric Grid – As Unsinkable as the Titanic?

April 16, 2012 by Christine Hertzog
with 495 views
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A catastrophic failure compounded by a lack of failover strategies and an inability to think the unthinkable.  These are the main reasons for the sinking of the Titanic. Could these also be the post-mortem conclusions for the next large-scale electric grid failure?  Even as we note the 100 year anniversary of that maritime... [read more]

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Smart Grid: From Vision to Benefits

April 16, 2012 by Sonita Lontoh
with 357 views
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Conversations on the vision, challenges, and benefits of the smart grid with Sonita Lontoh of Trilliant and Christine Hertzog of the Smart Grid Library. A TV interview archive. [read more]

China’s Smart-Grid Play: Ready To Take Off?

April 13, 2012 by Nino Marchetti
with 196 views
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China is the world’s largest electricity consumer, and growing fast. That’s motivating the country’s embrace of renewable energy production, but the focus apparently isn’t only on the production side: According to a new report from the research firm Zpryme, investments over the next several years could help catapult the country to... [read more]