Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
links technology research and EU smart grid activities to national and regional smart grid
initiatives, and the Smart Grids Task Force advises the European Commission on smart
grid policy.
In the United States, smart grid development has linked many federal agencies and
departments and created novel coalitions. Two pieces of authorizing legislation have been
particularly important. In 2007, Congress passed the Energy Independence and Security
Act and tasked the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) with many smart grid coordinating
activities. The legislation established the Federal Smart Grid Task Force and Smart Grid
Advisory Committee and authorized the DoE to develop Smart Grid Regional
Demonstration Initiatives and a Federal Matching Fund for Smart Grid Investment Costs.
In 2009, Congress passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, popularly known
as ARRA or the stimulus bill, which provided over $4 billion for modernizing the grid
and smart grid investments. Within the U.S. federal government, the National Science
and Technology Council Subcommittee on Smart Grid provides the President with
recommendations on smart grid development (see
Table 4.2
).
Table 4.2
Important U.S. Agencies, Departments, Organizations and Programs
Linked to Smart Grid.
Acronym
Name
Purpose
DoE
Department of
Energy
Coordinates smart grid task force
EPA
Environmental
Protection
Agency
Works to ensure environmental standards are
met across electric system
FERC
Federal Energy
Regulatory
Commission
Regulates and monitors interstate electricity
transmission and markets
NERC
North
American
Electric
Reliability
Organization
Nonprofit which works to ensure electric
system reliability, industry members, under
FERC oversight
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