United States Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell were on hand at the University of Washington (UW) in Seattle for the official go-live phase of the Pacific Northwest  Smart Grid Demonstration Project. The event was part of the university’s Sustainability Week celebration.

Senator Cantwell applauded the collaboration required by the project. “It’s clear we have the talent, technology and tools to become a leader in the energy economy of the future. So congratulations to all of the project’s partners and the students who are making this possible.”

The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) Deputy Administrator Bill Drummond singled out the people who are implementing the technologies and programs in their homes, businesses and even dormitories. “I want to thank Senator Murray for her leadership on the Appropriations Committee, for securing the funding that took this project from a small demonstration to a major initiative. And I want to thank Senator Cantwell for championing Smart Grid, including sponsoring legislation that provided framework for smart grid demonstrations nationally. I also want to thank our utilities, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and our end-use partners – the consumers of electricity – for making this a collaborative effort. The Pacific Northwest is providing national leadership in sustainability and we couldn’t do it without all of these dedicated partners.”

UW Provost Ana Mari Cauce adds: “The University of Washington is recognized as a national leader in sustainability within the higher education community. The project provides an exciting opportunity for testing how 21st century technology can reduce energy consumption. Given our students’ keen interest in the environment, it is appropriate that much of our research on smart grids will occur within our residence halls and that the initial research will be conducted by students in our Program on the Environment.”

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