Smart Grid: U.S. Chamber of Commerce Recognizes Importance of Electric Grid to National Energy Security - Smart Grid News

SmartGridNews.com

The insider's guide to the modernization and automation of electric power

U.S. Chamber of Commerce Recognizes Importance of Electric Grid to National Energy Security
By SGN Staff
Aug 20, 2010 - 12:45:02 PM

The Institute for 21st Century Energy, a U.S. Chamber of Commerce affiliate, has established an annual index designed to assess the status of the country's energy security. The index includes four primary elements that identify major energy security risk areas: geopolitical, economic, reliability and environmental. The new index uses 37 different measures of energy security risk, including the range of energy supplies and energy end uses, operations and environmental emissions. The index is intended to help policy makers, government officials, businesses and others wrestling with security issues. The overall purpose is to help answer two not so simple questions: Is energy security getting better or worse — and why?

Jesse Berst's Take: In addition to the obvious candidates — oil and natural gas costs and availability — this sophisticated tool also addresses the electric power infrastructure.