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White Papers

Learn more about the Smart Grid by reading these white papers. The following documents are available as Adobe Acrobat PDFs. Download Adobe Reader.
 
Deploying an advanced metering infrastructure is a fundamental early step to grid modernization. (February 2008)
 
Consumer backup generators (BUGS), which are distributed generation (DG) units for either emergency or standby applications, are plentiful and well distributed. BUGS can play a significant role in flattening the utility load profile to the economic and environmental benefit of utilities, consumers, and society. (April 2010)
 
This paper addresses the barriers to the full implementation of the Smart Grid. (July 2007)
 
The transition to the Smart Grid will take time and be driven by the interests and desires of the primary beneficiaries—utilities, individual consumers, and society in general. Two key ingredients are needed to instill in each of these stakeholders the passion to support and invest in a smart grid: collective understanding and motivation. (October 2009)
 
This paper presents information about five key technology areas that must be developed and implemented to provide a fully modernized Smart Grid that is reliable, secure, cost-effective, efficient, safe, and environmentally responsible. (June 2009)
 
For decades, it has been argued that electricity differs from all other products and markets because it cannot be stored. This has been basically correct, but future developments have the potential to remove this unique constraint. (October 2009)
 
The benefits of grid modernization are many and far-reaching. They encompass the broad areas of reliability, power quality, health and safety, national security, economic vitality, efficiency, and environmental impact. (August 2007)
 
A Smart Grid certification and labeling program can build on the progress already made in energy efficiency and conservation programs by providing consumers with information about Smart Grid capabilities. (October 2009)
 

Smart Grid Principal Characteristics Papers

  • Accommodates All Generation and Storage Options (PDF 368 KB) The ability to accommodate a wide variety of generation and storage options is essential to realizing the full promise of the Smart Grid. Generation will increasingly include renewables and distributed generation alongside energy storage and other nontraditional sources. (July 2009)
     
  • Enables Active Participation by Consumers (PDF 631 KB) One of the seven characteristics of the Smart Grid is providing consumers with choices that benefit both them and the grid itself. This is described as “enabling active participation by consumers.” (October 2009)
     
  • Operates Resiliently Against Attack and Natural Disaster (PDF 231 KB) In the 21st century, it is critical for the Smart Grid to address security from the outset, making it a requirement for all the elements of the grid and ensuring an integrated and balanced approach across the system. (October 2009)
     
  • Optimizes Asset Utilization and Operates Efficiently (PDF 206 KB) The Smart Grid can be defined by its seven principal characteristics. One of those characteristics is “Optimizes Asset Utilization and Operates Efficiently.” How this characteristic might be attained is the subject of this paper. (October 2009)
     
  • Provides Power Quality for the Digital Economy (PDF 1 MB) Clean electrical power is vital to commercial and industrial facilities that depend on sensitive digital control and communications systems to keep computing centers and manufacturing operations running productively. (October 2009)
     
  • Self-Heals (PDF 497 KB) The health of an electric system, like that of the human body, is determined in large part by the strength of its immune system—by its ability to heal itself. And in that context, the North American grid’s immune system is not especially strong. (March 2007)
 
Utility and technology experts agree that there’s an need for major improvements in the nation’s power delivery system. The change to a fully modern grid must meet increasingly higher standards in reliability, security, cost of service, power quality, efficiency, environmental impact and safety. (January 2007)
 
 
The transmission system of the future is the logical extension of today’s electric grid. Transmission has a long history of deploying new technologies that continuously improve performance in response to the changing needs of society. This strategy of innovation is needed today, more than ever before, to maximize electric energy’s ability to meet the nation’s goal of a sustainable future—one that is not dependent on external sources of supply. Doing so requires a transmission system that is both bigger and smarter than today’s system. (October 2009)
 
This paper presents the benefits of the Smart Grid and describes how the Smart Grid generates these benefits. The totality of benefits is also presented from the perspective of each of the beneficiaries to illustrate how compelling the value proposition is for each. (June 2010)
 
This paper presents information about the seven characteristics of a modern grid that is generally more resilient and distributed, more intelligent, more controllable, and better protected than today’s grid. (June 2009)
Content Last Updated: 07/15/10