NIST announces smart grid plan

clipped from www.energyefficiencynews.com The US National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) has announced a three-phase plan to develop key standards for a nationwide smart grid to deliver electricity efficiently, reliably and securely. A smart grid is a key component of the Obama Administration’s commitment to moving the US toward energy independence and was awarded funds in the recently passed American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). “The smart grid will create jobs and contribute to the national effort to achieve energy independence and facilitate environmental improvements,” says Patrick Gallagher, NIST deputy director. The 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) charges NIST with the “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”.