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Monday, 04 January 2010 12:56
A smart grid project involving new energy tracking technology awaits state regulatory approval as do three other projects proposed by Massachusetts’ four investor-owned utilities. State approval must be granted before implementation can begin in the state. Officials with National Grid, the utility behind the effort, hoped to begin the scheme in the first quarter of 2010.
The National Grid pilot is designed to determine whether better monitoring of energy consumption could make energy bills cheaper for consumers. Legislation enacted in 2006 called the Green Communities Act mandated that the four investor-owned utilities – National Grid, NStar, Massachusetts Western Electric, & Fitchburg Gas & Electric - develop smart grid pilot projects.
State officials are currently reviewing the applications but responses won’t be coming “anytime soon” according to Timothy Shevlin, a spokesperson for DPU. Shevlin added that industry experts and DPU lawyers are reviewing the applications and the utilities will have an answer by the August deadline.
Bill Pratt, National Grid’s director of smart grid customer programs, said the $57 million National Grid project involves 15,000 customers in the Worcester area. It is the largest of the four proposals by a wide margin.
Pratt added that National Grid will install smart meter technology in every customer’s home that is involved in the pilot project. The new devices will allow the utility to better monitor consumption trends while allowing its customers to track their usage in real-time. The pilot will also create different prices for energy depending upon the current level of demand across the entire power grid.
The second largest smart grid proposal, from NStar, would affect 3,000 customers in Newton and Hopkinton and would carry a $15 million price tag. Massachusetts Western Electric has put forward a $7 million pilot that involves 1,750 customers and Unitil, which owns Fitchburg Gas & Electric, proposed a $300,000 project that would involve 96 customers.
Philip Giudice, commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources, said that smart grid mandates are just one component of the Green Communities Act. He said the intent of the act is to create a variety of programs that encourage energy efficiency and conservation.
“We need to understand how we’re using energy, in our homes, in our schools and in our businesses,” said Giudice. “Then we need to figure out ways of using the energy and distributing it more efficiently.” Giudice gave his remarks to the Worcester Business Journal.
Pratt said that if National Grid is granted approval from the DPU that it would take nine months to complete the required upgrades and get the system ready.
Unitil has already installed automated metering infrastructure for much of its customer base, according to spokesman Wes Eberle. The new infrastructure gives Unitil better tracking of electricity distribution and user-friendly readings for customers. Unitil’s proposed pilot is similar to National Grid’s but involves many fewer customers. The pilot will also include an advanced outage management system.
NStar also proposes better tracking of customer energy consumption and would allow customers to monitor their usage over the Internet. Some customers could participate in a program involving smart thermostats that automatically adjust temperature within the home depending on the current price and demand for power.
National Grid
25 Research Dr.
Westborough, MA 01582
http://www.google.com
Nstar
800 Boylston Street
Boston, MA 02199
http://www.nstar.com
Massachusetts Western Electric
PO Box 2010
West Springfield, MA 01090-2010
http://www.wmeco.com
Unitil (Fitchburg Gas & Electric)
6 Liberty Lane West
Hampton, NH 03842
http://www.unitil.com
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