Proving Smart-Grid Savings

Deck: 

Real-world projects show tangible returns.

Fortnightly Magazine - June 2010
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Much is riding on successful smart-grid deployments. Last fall, the Department of Energy set aside $11 billion for smart-grid creation. On top of that, many utilities are investing millions of their own money in grid improvements within their service areas. The expensive question remains: Will these investments pay off? Lacking a standard path for smart-grid development, utilities nationwide are venturing into unknown territory, putting their smart-grid business cases to the test.

 

Saving Power

AEP’s gridSMART Ohio Project: American Electric Power (AEP)

• 5.2 million customers

• $14.4 billion revenue (2008)

• Service areas in Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia

• Approx. 39,000-MW generating capacity

Coverage: 110,000 customers

Cost: $150 million. The Department of Energy awarded $75 million and the rest is coming through a combination of monies subject to regulatory approval and in-kind donations from vendors that want to participate.

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