The Smart Grid Consortium, formed by Xcel Energy (Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.) in December 2007, will select a city with a population of approximately 100,000 in its eight-state territory in which to test smart grid-related products and services, essentially bringing to life a “Smart Grid City,” as the consortium is calling it. Xcel Energy will announce the selected city in March 2008 and begin the building phase in April 2008.

The consortium brings together technologists, engineering firms, business leaders and IT experts. The members include Bermuda-based Accenture Ltd., CURRENT Group, LLC (Germantown, Maryland, U.S.), Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories Inc. (Pullman, Washington, U.S.) and software firm Ventyx Inc. (Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.).

The group will provide guidance, as well as the products and services needed to bring Xcel Energy's smart grid vision to life.

“Smart Grid City will be the nation's first community with a fully integrated portfolio of smart grid technologies designed to offer environmental, financial and operational benefits,” says Ray Gogel, chief administrative officer and vice president of customer and enterprise solutions for Xcel Energy.

Several technologies will be offered within Smart Grid City, including:

• Transformation of existing metering infrastructure to a robust, dynamic communications network, providing real-time, high-speed two-way communication throughout the distribution grid

• Conversion of substations to smart substations capable of remote monitoring, near real-time data and optimized performance

• Installation of thousands of in-home control devices and the necessary systems to fully automate home energy use

• Integration of infrastructure to support up to 1000 easily dispatched distributed generation technologies (including plug-in hybrid electric vehicles with vehicle-to-grid technology, battery systems, wind turbines and solar panels).