“The blackout that darkened the Northeast in the summer of 2003 opened our eyes to the vulnerability and age of our electrical system,” stated Rep. Ben Quayle (R-Ariz.), chairman of the Technology and Innovation Subcommittee. “The smart grid has the potential to improve the reliability of electric power delivery, and promote economic growth through the development of new technologies.”

The goal of the smart grid initiative is to improve the transmission of electricity from power plants to consumers, provide grid operators with information about conditions of the electricity system, integrate new technologies into the grid, and allow consumers to receive more information about electricity prices and availability from the electricity system. This hearing examined whether the current pace of smart grid development is sustainable without significant cost to the taxpayer.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has been leading efforts to develop a common framework and standards necessary to ensure a secure and interoperable nationwide smart grid. Quayle stressed concerns over mandating standards, saying that in many cases a consensus standard would be sufficient to ensure interoperability. He said, “I generally believe that we should avoid imposing regulations on industry and innovators, when a collaborative product is possible through NIST’s non-regulatory process.” Republican members also voiced concerns about costs to taxpayers in advancing the smart grid, as well as privacy and safety issues surrounding potential technologies.

Echoing a preference for voluntary standards, Donna Nelson, chair of the Public Utility Commission of Texas, said, “While some have advocated for a federal package of mandatory standards for adoption, we do not believe that the federal government should take action to mandate standards.”

Discussing the potential of a smart grid system, Dr. George Arnold, national coordinator for smart grid interoperability at NIST explained that the smart grid, “is central to the nation’s efforts to increase the reliability, efficiency, and security of the electric delivery system and also to help build the infrastructure that will facilitate clean energy sources to American homes and businesses.”

Publication date: 09/26/2011