Smart grid stimulus project updates: what, where, how much?

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1. Bringing Large Wind‐Turbine Testing to America for the First Time

Boston, Massachusetts ‐ $24.7 million

The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center received a $24.7 million award from the Department of Energy to construct a wind blade testing facility. This facility will be the largest of its kind in the world – capable of testing 3 large wind‐turbine blades, up to 90 meters in length. The project is expected to be completed by February 2011, and a number of private blade manufacturers have already agreed to send their blades to Boston for testing. Currently, blades of this size are rarely produced in the United States because the cost of testing them overseas is too high. In addition to employing 60 construction workers, this facility could change the wind turbine manufacturing industry in America. Read more about renewable energy technologies and trends>>

2. Transforming the Future of Electric Distribution and Energy Consumption

Houston, Texas – $200 million

CenterPoint Energy will accelerate the completion of its current smart meter system by the end of 2012 and install the first phase of its grid hardening and automation called the Intelligent Grid “IG”. The project in Houston, Texas includes two distinct but interdependent parts, including accelerating and completing the installation of 2.2 million smart meters and associated equipment that make up CenterPoint Energy’s advanced metering system. These smart meters will enable residential and commercial customers to more effectively manage and control their electricity usage. The project will also install distribution grid automation equipment and technology, allowing CenterPoint Energy to operate the distribution grid more efficiently, improve system reliability, and create the capability for the grid to “self‐heal.” Once completed, CenterPoint Energy's smart grid will serve as an example of an integrated, cyber‐secure, scalable, and replicable smart grid. CenterPoint reported supporting nearly 300 jobs last quarter. CenterPoint estimates nearly 2,500 total direct and indirect jobs will be created as part of their smart grid project. Read more about grid optimization>>

3. Bringing Energy Efficient Appliance Production Back to America

Louisville, Kentucky ‐ $24 million

Supported by $24.8 million in Recovery Act funds through a 48C Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credit from the Department of Treasury, General Electric is investing $600 million into its Louisville, Kentucky Appliance Park facility to expand manufacturing of energy efficient home appliances. With these funds, GE will bring the production of one of its lines back from China, as well as plan to add 800 new jobs through 2013. Already, according to GE, more than 135 new employees have been hired – a literal example of “in‐sourcing” production. Vice President Biden is pictured here talking with GE workers at the park.  

Read more about smart homes and appliances>>

4. Solar Lab on Bean Federal Center

Indianapolis, IN ‐ $35.5 million

The Emmet J. Bean Solar Lab is one of more than 50 Federal building rooftops across the country upon which GSA is installing solar arrays using Recovery Act funds. In addition to generating clean, renewable energy, GSA's Recovery Act projects are putting people to work in construction and emerging green industries. Indianapolis construction company Shiel Sexton has put more than 60 people to work with GSA’s Recovery Act funds to convert the roof of the Emmet J. Bean Federal Center into a proving ground for solar power technology. Workers are installing approximately 6,000 solar panels on the roof that will generate 1.8 megawatts of renewable energy. A portion of the panels will serve as a “Solar Lab,” where the performance of four different types of solar technology will be researched by GSA and the Department of Energy’s Sandia National Lab to determine which solar panels work best in the Midwestern climate. Read about a new solar cell technology>>

5. Illinois Wind Drives Economic Growth with Treasury’s Help

Livingston County, Illinois – $170 million

The Streator Cayuga Ridge wind park in Livingston County, Illinois, received $170 million through the 1603 grants‐in‐lieu‐of‐tax‐credits program for renewable energy generation. This 150‐turbine project will generate 300 megawatts of clean, renewable energy, enough to power the approximate equivalent of over 86,000 typical American homes. In addition, the project is creating jobs and helping to drive local growth. During construction, the wind park created over 300 jobs, while the increased tax revenue has allowed the local government to disburse economic development grants to local businesses. The project has also helped preserve jobs at component factories in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and North Dakota. When completed in March 2010, it was the largest wind project in Illinois. Read about the surge in wind energy>>

6. Electric Vehicles Made in the U.S.A

Kansas City, Missouri – $32 million

As part of the Recovery Act’s commitment to helping American companies develop the best vehicle technologies in the world, Smith Electric in Kansas City, Missouri received a $32 million grant to build and deploy up to 510 all‐electric trucks. Smith is selling trucks to Coca Cola Enterprises, AT&T, FritoLay and Staples, plus utilities Pacific Gas & Electric and Kansas City Power & Light. Smith and its customers will test vehicle performance in California, Georgia, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, and Texas. According to Smith, they recently hired their 50th worker at the Kansas City facility, with plans to expand to 70 workers. At the project’s peak, Smith estimates it will support more than 220 direct and indirect jobs. President Obama talks with workers during a visit to the plant.  Read more about EVs>>

7. Fueling America’s Exports: Lithium‐Ion Battery Manufacturing

Indiana – $118 million

EnerDel makes advanced lithium‐ion batteries for electric vehicles in Indiana. A $118 million Recovery Act grant is helping the company expand production at its current facilities in Noblesville and Indianapolis –as well as build a new facility in Mt. Comfort. The grant has helped EnerDel support nearly 80 jobs through July 2010, and the company expects to grow from roughly 150 workers in the state today to over 1,400 by 2014. The company forecasts that exports will represent as much as 75 percent

of near‐term sales. EnerDel has signed a contract with Norwegian carmaker Think and will be shipping batteries produced in Indiana to Europe within the month. Read more about battery and storage technologies>>

8. Wind Project Allows Hawaii to Reduce Reliance on Imported Oil

Kahuku, Hawaii – $117 million loan guarantee

The Department of Energy has closed a $117 million loan guarantee for First Wind’s Kahuku Wind Power project in Hawaii. The project includes the development of an innovative 30 megawatt wind power plant that incorporates a 10 megawatt battery energy storage system that will modulate and smooth fluctuations in power output caused by changes in wind levels. The project will supply electricity to approximately 7,700 households per year and reduce Hawaii's reliance on imported oil. Having recently broken ground, it is estimated that the project will create over 200 jobs on the island of Oahu. Read about Hawaii’s smart grid setback>>

9. Enabling Customers to Manage their Energy Use

Las Vegas, Nevada – $137.9 million

The Department of Energy awarded a Smart Grid Investment Grant to NV Energy for a comprehensive smart grid project that will integrate multiple smart grid technologies, including 1.3 million smart meters, dynamic pricing, customer communications and in‐home networks, grid monitoring, distribution automation, distributed renewables, and electric vehicles. This will help NV Energy manage its electric system more efficiently and enable customers to more actively manage their energy use. Headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada, NV Energy serves 2.4 million Nevadans ‐‐ as well as a state tourist population of approximately 40 million annually. Additionally, the company serves more than 46,000 electric customers in the Lake Tahoe‐area of California. 15 Nevadans have been employed by this grant and NV Energy estimates that the project will create 400‐500 temporary and 45 permanent jobs. Read more about smart grid strategy>>

10. New Facilities for High Concentrating Solar Panels

Las Vegas, Nevada and Phoenix, Arizona ‐ $9 million

Amonix makes large high‐concentrating solar panels the size of tractors. Their systems use less water, utilize land better, and produce more energy per acre than other solar technologies. The company is commercializing solar technologies first developed for space. Amonix is receiving more than $9.5 million under the 48C Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credit program. Amonix high‐efficiency panels have the potential to achieve 30 percent system efficiency, compared to 20 percent or less for most of today’s solar panels. Amonix has a small manufacturing facility at their headquarters in Seal Beach, California. The Recovery Act is supporting two new Amonix factories in Las Vegas, Nevada and Phoenix, Arizona. When completed in the first half of 2011, the Nevada facility is expected to create about 270 new jobs. Read more about smart grid stimulus awards and projects>>

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