NV Energy, Inc. has been selected to receive a $138 million grant in stimulus funding from the Department of Energy specifically for the company’s $298 million Advanced Service Delivery (ASD) project. The ASD project will provide NV Energy with the smart grid infrastructure necessary to enable widespread use of smart meters, enabling customers to manage their energy usage in a hands-on manner.

NV Energy applied for federal funding in August through a Smart Grid Investment grant that was made available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The DOE set aside $3.4 billion for the Smart Grid integration, making available up to 50 percent or $200 million, whichever is less, of the total project cost per utility.

As part of the company’s application, a letter of support from the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada (PUCN) was included in the submission, since the PUCN will be an integral part of bringing this new technology to Nevada’s utility infrastructure.

The company will begin negotiations with the DOE in order to implement a pilot program with the ultimate goal of completing installation of 1.45 million smart meters by 2012. This technology will bring real-time information to customers, enabling customers to take an active part in managing energy use.