Lab Report: Smart Grid Technologies Could Slash Energy Use, CO2 Emissions by 18% in 20 Years

Smart Grid advocates have long insisted that new renewable energy, information and communications technologies will transform the country's electric grid into a strong, safe, secure system and significantly cut pollution along the way. A new report seems to agree.

 

A new government report says Smart Grid technologies could reduce energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions by up to 18% in 20 years if they are thoroughly implemented.

 

The report, prepared by DOE's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), says that energy use and carbon impacts could be cut by 12% directly and 6% indirectly with "100% penetration" of Smart Grid technologies.

 

A few cautions though: The reduction figures are estimates based on published information and simple analyses. Also, the report doesn't really determine the environmental impacts of Smart Grid technologies or their cost effectiveness. What it does do is give an assessment of energy and carbon dioxide savings that could result if the technologies typically thought of as Smart Grid are put in place. And remember: We're talking about 100% implementation.

 

GridWise® Alliance President Katherine Hamilton called attention to the report during a green energy conference in Washington, D.C. Friday.

 

"The Smart Grid, while a buzz word we hear everywhere, is still evolving and the true value of its success will be evident and measured over the course of many years as projected in the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's newly released report, The Smart Grid: An Estimation of the Energy and CO₂ Benefits."

 

The report lists nine ways Smart Grid adoption could reduce energy use and carbon dioxide emissions caused by power generation and delivery.

 

From the source ...

        ·        PNNL report (pdf)

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Related SGN resources ...

·         Smart Grid Technologies

 

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