the Smart squad: An Oklahoma electric co-op teams up with a university, municipal electric system, and an engineering firm to embrace the latest in smart grid technology and system automation

摘要

In 2008, during their annual strategic planning session, the board and senior management of Central Rural Electric Cooperative (CREC), based in Stillwater, Okla., began focusing on strategies for realizing promises of the smart grid while still delivering safe, reliable power at an affordable price. Out of their discussions, the co-op's leaders decided to explore a range of options.Soon afterward, the cooperative launched pilot projects examining the potential of personal energy management systems as well as more effectively managing or even expanding distributed solar and wind generation. At the same time, CREC reached out to hometown Oklahoma State University to see if synergies existed between co-op efforts and university research—particularly those aimed at lowering costs and improving reliability.