28 Mar 2012
Hawaii smart meters’ opt-out from lawsuit … Utility vendors push the “Green Button” … California leads the charge for EV’s … PG&E spend, spend, spend!
Renew Grid: Lawsuit prompts smart meter opt-outs for opponents in Hawaii
Kauai Island Utility (KIUC) has announced that it would “indefinitely defer” smart meter installation for those who oppose them. This is in response to a lawsuit that was filed against the utility. David Bissell, KIUC CEO was disappointed that the local smart meter opponent filed his complaint with the Honolulu federal court.
It asked for an injunction blocking the utility’s smart meter rollout. The...
23 Jan 2012
Four of the big players (in different aspects) of the smart grid have announced that they are making their products compatible with Sprint’s wireless network. This opens the question as to whether the cellular networks and the smart grid vendors and utilities are finally ready to collaborate.
What happened
Jesse Berst of Smart Grid News reports that four companies claim support for Sprint as a smart grid communications supplier. ...
08 May 2012
The UK’s smart grid upgrade will increase employment and bring significant economic benefits.
What happened
The UK will see a £13bn (US$21bn) boost to its economy, as well as the creation of 10,000 highly skilled jobs if the country upgrades its electric distribution network with smart grid technology. This is according to an Ernst & Young report, “Smart Grid: A race worth winning.” Click Green says this report offers the “most detailed assessment yet” of the smart grid’s potential benefits for the UK’s economy.
Reuters reports...
15 May 2012
China and EU co-operate on shared energy goals … Endesa rolls out smart microgrid in La Graciosa (Canary Island) … EU DSOs should be incentivized.
China Daily: China seeks to expand green energy ties
Lan Lan of China Daily reports that China and the European Union (EU) will work more closely in the alternative energy industry, in terms of:
Energy saving
Emission cuts
Nuclear technologies – Including uranium enrichment and experimentalfast reactors
New-energy vehicles
Han Wenke, director-general of the Energy Research Institute under the National Development and Reform Commission, points out that...
09 Feb 2012
DistribuTECH – home of the energy press release … and time to probe energy trends for the year ahead … a great show makes for excellent media …
Smart Grid News: DistribuTECH Buzz
The Smart Grid News Team wrote a comprehensive, three-part article highlighting the major announcements made at the DistribuTECH conference. This series proved to be a very valuable index of the big news that came out of the event.
Part one covered the following press releases:
Itron apps help utilities maximize value of smart grid data
Glen Canyon wins 1.5 million virtual AMI deployment in China
New Opower Marketplace...
30 Apr 2012
UK’s new system will connect wind power faster and cheaper … Netherlands Essent and Tendril develop “first-of-its-kind” smart energy application crowdsourcing project … EU Energy Ministers meet to discuss 2050 plan … UK’s E.ON Deploys Elster Meters … UK’s energy efficient Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
Smart Grid News: UK project points way to faster, cheaper wind integration
Jesse Berst of Smart Grid News writes about the UK’s “innovative” "flexible, plug-and-play” system that could see wind power integrated onto the grid “easier, faster and cheaper.” The connection of additional wind farms will result in voltage and thermal constraints, as well as reverse power flows as the UK grid is already operating beyond its capacity.
The new...
02 May 2012
Google VP advises energy utilities to update customer engagement practices as customers grow to expect social, mobile and local engagement from their service providers.
What happened
Jesse Berst of Smart Grid News revisits an old problem for utilities – how to communicate with their customers. He points to “one of the most thought-provoking speeches” at this year’s Accenture International Utilities and Energy Conference, by Google's Michael Lock,...
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