Enough already! The smart grid's 'neverending stories' of 2011

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By Doug Peeples

SGN News Editor

Most news stories have a relatively normal life cycle – a beginning, a middle and an end. But for some of the stories we brought you in 2011, there doesn't seem to be an end in sight. Here's a recap of the twists and turns in the stories that just won't go away – and one recent development that looks like it's grown legs, too.

SmartGridCity

When Boulder, Colorado, was picked as the site for the innovative SmartGridCity demonstration project in 2008 (when the anticipated cost was a little over $15 million), it's a pretty safe bet that neither Xcel Energy nor the city imagined they would find themselves in a marriage with "irreconcilable differences." But over three years and counting, that's essentially what happened –  with the Colorado PUC intervening periodically in the dual role of marriage counselor and judge.

The pushback against the project probably started in early 2010 when the huge discrepancies between projected and actual costs riled the city. At that point, because of a number of unforeseen difficulties, Xcel estimated that the actual project cost was more like $42 million. Jump ahead to September 2011 when a Boulder citizens group began a campaign to "secede" from Xcel and start its own municipal utility, followed quickly in November when voters told the city they wanted to do just that – start their own utility. That doesn't mean it's necessarily going to happen and the two sides, naturally, are far apart on cost estimates for a transition.

The most recent wrinkle? After investing in smart meters, a communications system, a much upgraded distribution network and more, the Public Service Company of Colorado, an Xcel subsidiary, filed an application with the PUC in December to recover the balance of its investment – the amount the PUC had earlier withheld pending Xcel showing that it had finished the uncompleted parts of the project.

For better or worse, SmartGridCity has been one of the most educational smart grid projects ever. And yes, it really is a big story. Our readers voted it the top smart grid story of 2010, and we're still learning from it.

Next page: smart meter controversies and how the wind blows >>