Directory of Energy Awards How has the stimulus money for smart energy projects been spent up to now? Use our directory to find ARRA-funded energy awards sorted by topic, from biomass to storage and transportation - plus solar, wind, the Smart Grid and more. Mar 26, 2010    Read the Full Story   Join the Discussion

Grid Storage Systems Get $60M Boost from DOE. But Where's the ROI? Does the Department of Energy’s investment in grid storage systems make economic sense? Not if you run the numbers, says Lux Research analyst Steven Minnihan, who has done just that. Aug 24, 2010    Read the Full Story   Join the Discussion   3 Active Comment(s)

DOE Authorizes Grant Money for Pacific Northwest Smart Grid Demonstration Project The Pacific Northwest Smart Grid Demonstration Project has come one step closer to reality with the Energy Department's authorization to pay half of the $178 million project's cost. The initiative will test Smart Grid technologies with an eye to improving electric grid management. Aug 17, 2010    Read the Full Story   Join the Discussion

BG&E to Move Ahead With Smart Meter Rollout, Despite Regulator Rejection of Upfront Surcharge Baltimore Gas & Electric will continue with its $835 million smart meter deployment, the utility announced Monday, despite Maryland regulators' rejection of its proposal to have most of the project's initial costs paid for with upfront consumer surcharges. Aug 16, 2010    Read the Full Story   Join the Discussion   2 Active Comment(s)

Revised BG&E Smart Grid Plan Gets Conditional Go-Ahead. But Will It Fly? The Maryland Public Service Commission gave approval to a revised Smart Grid proposal from Baltimore Gas & Electric that is supported by $200 million in Recovery Act money. But the approval came with conditions. Aug 13, 2010    Read the Full Story   Join the Discussion   4 Active Comment(s)

DOE Stimulus Deadline Looms: $3.4 Billion in Limbo? With less than two months until the deadline to obligate funds under the Recovery Act, an analysis from the DOE Inspector General raises concern about the Energy Department’s ability to meet the deadline with some $3.4 billion in limbo. Click inside for details. Aug 10, 2010    Read the Full Story   Join the Discussion

Smart Grid Stimulus: DOE OKs $43M Loan Guarantee for Flywheel Storage Plant Flywheel storage system provider Beacon Power will get a $43 million loan guarantee from the Energy Department to complete its 20 MW energy storage plant in Stephentown, New York. Aug 9, 2010    Read the Full Story   Join the Discussion   1 Active Comment(s)

Stimulus Winner Navistar's All-Electric Commercial Truck Looks Like a Hit A year after winning a $39 million stimulus grant, commercial truck giant Navistar's new all-electric medium-duty truck is getting noticed — and sold. Aug 6, 2010    Read the Full Story   Join the Discussion   1 Active Comment(s)

New Report Cites Top 10 States Driving Smart Grid Deployment You’d probably expect California and Colorado to make a list of 10 key states driving Smart Grid deployment. Click inside to learn the eight other states cited by GTM Research in its new report on 2010 Smart Grid policy and the states that are leading the way. Jul 27, 2010    Read the Full Story   Join the Discussion

Stimulus Investments Pump Up EV Industry Growth The Energy Department's Recovery Act stimulus investments have benefitted the domestic EV industry in a variety of ways: jobs and manufacturing plants and product lines, not to mention charging stations. Jul 16, 2010    Read the Full Story   Join the Discussion

$92M in New Stimulus Awards Target Grid-Scale Storage, Energy Efficiency The Energy Department awarded $92 million to projects that will focus on accelerating green technology innovation, increasing U.S. competitiveness in grid-scale energy storage, power electronics and building efficiency. Jul 13, 2010    Read the Full Story   Join the Discussion

Smart Grid Stimulus: Two Advanced Solar Projects Offered Almost $2 Billion in Conditional Loan Guarantees Conditional commitments for almost $2 billion in Recovery Act funded loan guarantees have been offered to two advanced solar technologies projects, one to produce thin film solar panels and the other to build and operate a concentrating solar power plant. Jul 6, 2010    Read the Full Story   Join the Discussion

Smart Grid Initiative Gets OK from Oklahoma Regulators A week after the Maryland Public Service Commission turned down to Baltimore Gas & Electric’s ambitious Smart Grid initiative, the Oklahoma Corporation Commission gave a thumbs up to Oklahoma Gas & Electric’s $366.4 million smart meter expansion. Both utilities’ initiatives were to be funded in part by federal stimulus money. Jul 1, 2010    Read the Full Story   Join the Discussion

What Others Are Saying About the BG&E Ruling Is the Maryland PSC’s ruling against Baltimore Gas & Electric a major setback for smart metering or merely a pothole along the way? We’ve rounded up some differing opinions on what the ruling means. Jun 24, 2010    Read the Full Story   Join the Discussion   3 Active Comment(s)

BG&E Fallout: What’s the Take-Away for Other Utilities? The Maryland Public Service Commission’s decision to turn down Baltimore Gas & Electric’s stimulus-funded smart meter proposal sent shockwaves through the industry. In this guest commentary, eMeter Chief Regulatory Officer Chris King offers perspective on the PSC decision – and suggestions for utilities hoping to avoid a similar fate. Jun 24, 2010    Read the Full Story   Join the Discussion   3 Active Comment(s)

Uh-Oh: Maryland PSC Dumps BG&E's Smart Metering Project; Utility Exec Says He's ‘Dumbfounded’ The Maryland Public Service Commission has rejected Baltimore Gas & Electric's Smart Grid metering proposal that has ratepayers taking on most of the initial costs of the project. BG&E President Kenneth DeFontes was quoted in the Baltimore Sun as saying he was "dumbfounded" by the decision. Jun 22, 2010    Read the Full Story   Join the Discussion   5 Active Comment(s)

DOE to Spend More Than $76 Million for Building Energy Efficiency Technologies and Training The Energy Department will award more than $76 million in Recovery Act money to support development of innovative technologies to increase building energy efficiency and cost effectiveness and related training programs. Jun 18, 2010    Read the Full Story   Join the Discussion   1 Active Comment(s)

DOE to Award $60 Million for Local Energy Efficiency and Renewables Programs DOE has selected 20 communities and local organizations to receive a total of $60 million in Recovery Act funds for local energy efficiency and renewable energy programs to reduce energy consumption by homes, businesses and vehicles. Jun 15, 2010    Read the Full Story   Join the Discussion

Smart Grid Stimulus: Did DOE Bet Wrong? Many Smart Grid experts believe too many stimulus dollars went to smart meters. They argue it would have been smarter to spend more on distribution automation and system efficiencies. Here's an opposing viewpoint from longtime industry participant Sunil Sharan. Jun 15, 2010    Read the Full Story   Join the Discussion   9 Active Comment(s)

EV Charging Stations: Get Yours Free While Supplies Last! Coulomb Technologies will give away almost 5,000 of its ChargePoint® Networked Charging Stations for EVs. The company's ChargePoint America program, partially funded by a Smart Grid stimulus grant, will deliver the residential and public stations to nine regions across the country. Jun 3, 2010    Read the Full Story   Join the Discussion

NYISO Gets $37.8 Million in Stimulus Money to Deploy Smart Grid Technology The New York Independent System Operator has reached an agreement with DOE to receive $37.8 million for Smart Grid technology deployments in New York's electric grid. May 11, 2010    Read the Full Story   Join the Discussion

PJM Smartens Up Transmission Grid With More Synchrophasors Regional transmission operator PJM Interconnection is moving ahead with a program to beef up the digital intelligence of the country's largest electric transmission system by installing more advanced monitoring equipment. A $14 million DOE stimulus grant is covering half the cost of the synchrophasor deployment project. May 10, 2010    Read the Full Story   Join the Discussion

Smart Grid Stimulus Awards: $106 Million for Innovative Research in Biofuels, Carbon Capture and EV Batteries The Energy Department has announced $106 million in funding for research and development in three areas: creating biofuels from electricity, improving electric vehicle batteries and advancing carbon capture technologies. Apr 30, 2010    Read the Full Story   Join the Discussion

Beyond Metering: 10 Pretty Darn Interesting Stimulus-Funded Smart Grid Projects A big chunk of stimulus money went into metering initiatives around the country, yet the DOE has slowly but surely been doling out dollars for a wide variety of Smart Grid projects and technologies. Some of them are just plain exciting. We’ve identified 10 we’ve got our eyes on. They may not all be successful, but like we said, they’re all pretty darn interesting. See if you agree. Apr 27, 2010    Read the Full Story   Join the Discussion   2 Active Comment(s)

Smart Grid Stimulus Update: The Journey Has Begun, But There’s a Long Road Ahead In recent weeks the DOE and utilities around the country have been inking contracts that will at long last unleash federal stimulus funds for scores of Smart Grid projects. Is the momentum finally shifting? Click inside for a quick update on Smart Grid Investment Grant recipients. Apr 27, 2010    Read the Full Story   Join the Discussion

SMART GRID NEWS TALK BACK BUZZ Meters for smart grid Where can I find additional information of the manufacturing of the meters for the smart grid system? ... Talk Back right now to Jim Austin