Heat Wave Underscores Need for Smart Grid

Saturday, 10 July 2010 13:43

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The brutal heat wave punishing the American northeast has underscored the need for smart grid technologies. Bob Gilligan, vice president of General Electric’s Digital Energy business says it is imperative to invest overhauling the power infrastructure. “As record-breaking temperatures in the northeastern United States have consumers turning up their air conditioners, our overburdened electric grid is taking center stage,” he says. “The heat wave is causing spikes in power demand, increasing the probability of service disruptions. This provides an example of the demand levels the grid can expect to see in the future as penetration of electric heating and cooling continue to expand, and as new demands like plug-in electric vehicles enter the market.”

Gilligan also notes that investing in smart grid technologies can enable utilities to better manage fluctuating consumer demand and enable customers to keep their air conditioning on without adding more generation and transmission capacity. It would also save significant money.

“While some have expressed concern about the cost of smart grid investments, electric power outages and blackouts cost the nation about $80 billion annually. In addition, the cost of generating a kilowatt-hour of electricity is orders-of-magnitude greater than the cost of saving a kWh through adding intelligence to the grid and improving energy efficiency. If implemented the right way, smart grid technologies can not only help keep our air conditioners on, but can also help lessen our dependence on fossil fuels, lower CO2 emissions and empower consumers to make smarter energy choices—positively impacting our nation’s energy stability.”

The businesses that comprise GE Energy work together to provide integrated product and service solutions in all areas of the energy industry including coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear energy as well as renewable resources such as water, wind, solar, biogas and other alternative fuels.