EPRI Report Proposes Priorities for Smart Grid
The U.S. Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) on June 18 released for public review a report that identifies issues and proposes priorities for developing technical standards and an architecture for a U.S. Smart Grid.
The Smart Grid is a planned nationwide network that will use 21st century information technology to deliver electricity efficiently, reliably, and securely, while allowing increased use of renewable power sources.
The nearly 300-page report is part of the first phase of NIST's three-phase plan, announced in April, to expedite development of key standards for the Smart Grid.
It was prepared by the Electric Power Research Institute under contract to NIST. EPRI technical experts compiled and distilled stakeholder inputs provided two major public workshops as well as technical contributions from a variety of organizations.
NIST is submitting the report for public review before proceeding to drafting its Smart Grid Interoperability Standards Framework. Under the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, NIST has "primary responsibility to coordinate development of a framework that includes protocols and model standards for information management to achieve interoperability of smart grid devices and systems…."