Electric Co-ops Launch Nationwide Smart Grid Demonstration Project

Sep 1, 2010 12:00 PM

With final approval of a US$33.9 million matching grant to the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) from the U.S. Department of Energy, 19 electric cooperatives now embark on a nationwide demonstration project deploying more than 153,000 smart grid components across the county to test the value of the new technologies for cooperative consumer members.

Electric distribution cooperatives, which range in size from a few hundred to more than 200,000 meters, will evaluate potential benefits of new technologies that could help increase operational efficiencies and improve service. Coops will also test new programs that help consumers manage electric bills.

Cooperatives are well positioned to advance the implementation of a smart grid. According to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), cooperatives' advanced metering penetration increased from 3.8% in 2006 to 16.4% in 2008, well above the industry as a whole. According to NRECA research, approximately half of cooperatives have installed at least some advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) on their systems, and some 30% of cooperatives have begun to integrate their AMI with other systems on their grid.

The cooperatives' demonstration project represents the first opportunity to conduct a nationwide pilot extending and testing end-to-end connectivity — from the power plant to the consumer's home — and interoperability using MultiSpeak, a specification developed by NRECA through the MultiSpeak Initiative. This project will extend the MultiSpeak specification to new functions and applications and include cyber security in the testing process. Cyber security consultants SAIC and Cigital will work with the cooperatives to explore security issues surrounding enhanced interoperability and connectivity.

The NRECA is the national service organization that represents the nation's more than 900 private, not-for-profit, consumer-owned electric cooperatives, which provide service to 42 million people in 47 states.

For more information, visit www.nreca.coop.

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