Creating a Smart Grid

摘要

SMART GRID IS A HOT TOPIC IN THE UTILITY BUSINESS TODAY. All of the industry's stakeholders are interested in this subject and involved at some level. But, it is not obvious to me, at any level, that there is a simple, clear framework in place that will allow the industry to modernize the grid and deliver the value that utility executives are seeking. So, what is the smart grid? I see the smart grid as an intelligent two-way network used to deliver base load and alternative energy supply to our customers. It integrates energy efficiency, demand response and distributed-resources technologies to enable the grid operators to make intelligent decisions that help them run the grid more efficiently, reliably and at a lower cost. Ultimately, technology can greatly improve the ability of the system to react in an automated manner in real time, but let's walk first before we run.