The U.S. Commerce Department last week unveiled a plan for developing standards for the creation of smart grids.
Produced by the Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards
and Technology (NIST), the 90-page document identifies about 80 initial
standards that will enable the vast number of interconnected devices
and systems that will make up the nationwide Smart Grid to communicate
and work with each other. These standards will support interoperability
of all the various pieces of the system–ranging from large utility
companies down to individual homes and electronic devices.
The report also lists a set of 14 "priority action plans" that address the most important gaps in the initial standard set.
"To use an analogy from the construction world, this report is like a
designer’s first detailed drawing of a complex structure," Commerce
Secretary Gary Locke said. "It presents a high-level conceptual model
to ensure that everyone is on the same page before moving forward to
develop more detailed, formal Smart Grid architectures. This high-level
model is critical to help plan where to go next."
The draft will be posted for a 30-day period of public comment
and review. According to George Arnold, NIST’s National Coordinator for
Smart Grid Interoperability, finalizing the standards will ensure that
the grid transformation goes both smoothly and rapidly–a priority of
the Obama Administration. About $4.5 billion of American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) funds to the Department of Energy also
are slated for Smart Grid demonstration projects.
"Because of the urgent need to remake the grid into a modern power
distribution system, we have set a timetable that is much swifter than
usual for establishing these standards," said Arnold. "But at the same
time, we also want to be certain that the initial standards we
establish will hold up in the future so that investments in the Smart
Grid will not become prematurely obsolete."
When completed, the Smart Grid will employ real-time, two-way
digital information and communication technologies in the operation of
the nation’s electricity grid. The system would allow consumers to
better manage and control their energy use and costs, reduce America’s
dependence on foreign oil and create clean-energy jobs.
The draft report, entitled NIST Framework and Roadmap for Smart
Grid Interoperability Standards, Release 1.0, incorporates input from
more than 1,500 industry, government and other stakeholders who have
participated in the NIST framework development process.
Following the 30-day public review and comment on the draft,
NIST will finalize the Framework document, which is the culmination of
the first phase of NIST’s three-phase approach to develop Smart Grid
standards. Phase 1, the engagement of stakeholders in a participatory
public process to identify applicable standards and gaps in currently
available standards and priorities for new standardization activities,
ends with the final publication of the Framework report after public
comments have been incorporated.
Phase 2 will establish a private-public partnership and forum–a
Smart Grid Interoperability Panel–to drive longer-term progress. NIST
is using ARRA funds to establish the panel by the end of 2009. Phase 3
will develop and implement a framework for testing and certification of
how standards are implemented in Smart Grid devices, systems and
processes. NIST is consulting with industry, government and other
stakeholders to develop a plan for a testing and certification
framework by the end of 2009 and take steps toward implementation in
2010.
The results of NIST’s ongoing work on standards for the Smart
Grid also provides input to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,
which under the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act is charged
with instituting, once sufficient consensus is achieved, rulemaking
proceedings to adopt the standards and protocols necessary to ensure
Smart Grid functionality and interoperability in interstate
transmission of electric power, and in regional and wholesale
electricity markets.
The NIST report is available now at the link below.
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