Allegheny Power, the electricity delivery unit of Allegheny Energy, Inc. is committed to working with other electricity providers, technology vendors, regulators and interested stakeholders to develop smart grid technology, the company reiterated today.

Built upon technology platforms from Augusta Systems, Allegheny’s Research Ridge Test Facility demonstrates how a smart grid can manage energy usage and reduce electricity demand in an automated manner. The test facility features an intelligent network linking meters, thermostats, appliance control devices, home area networks, power line sensors, security devices and other systems.

Interoperability – making sure the various technologies work with each other and with existing utility systems – is one of the cornerstones of a smart grid and a major goal of Allegheny’s Advanced Utility Infrastructure projects. Recognizing the importance of industry-wide collaboration, Allegheny’s test facility has an open-door policy to demonstrate its approach and to learn from other projects.

The electricity industry and the federal government have been pursuing efforts to ensure integration between various smart grid technologies and systems. The recent federal economic stimulus bill included funding for interoperability standards development and recommended that smart grid projects funded through the legislation feature technology openness.

The Research Ridge lab opened in 2008 and is one of three Advanced Utility Infrastructure projects under development by Allegheny. The others include the West Virginia Super Circuit, which will evaluate the integration of advanced system monitoring and control; and Modern Grid, a field test for isolating system faults and restoring electricity service without manual intervention. All three projects are located in Morgantown, W.Va.