Biden Outlines $4 Billion in Grants For Development of Smart Grid System

摘要

Nearly $4 billion in grant funding will be distributed by the Department of Energy to upgrade the country's electricity transmission system, a move considered vital for incorporating the widespread use of renewable energy such as wind and solar power into the national grid, Vice President Joseph Biden announced April 16.rn"We need an upgraded electrical grid to take full advantage of the vast renewable resources in this country-to take the wind from the Midwest and the sun from the Southwest and power areas across the country," Biden said in a statement released by the White House.rnBiden announced the funding, provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Pub. L. No. 111-5), while visiting Jefferson City, Mo., with Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, where they toured a plant that builds transformers for wind power plants.rnThe Recovery Act provided a total of $4.5 billion to create a smart grid, which will include a digitized transmission system capable of two-way communication that will allow generators and consumers alike to use electricity in the most cost-effective way.