Emerging Smart Grid Struggles - Smart Grid (R) Evolution: Electric Power Struggles - page 4

the power goes out we quickly become paralyzed when we are unable to charge our cell
phones, pay our bills, refrigerate our food, and run our businesses and households.
Concern about the social impact of power outages and connections between electricity
system vulnerabilities and more intense and frequent extreme weather events has been
growing in the United States, as highlighted by Superstorm Sandy. Despite growing
acknowledgement of the need to enhance resilience of the electric grid, investment in U.S.
infrastructure is low, prompting the American Society of Civil Engineers to assess the U.S.
energy system with a grade of D+ on their infrastructure report card (ASCE 2013 ) .
Similar concerns are mounting in Europe, but the debates differ significantly among
countries. Some European countries have a higher level of political and societal support
and expectation for investing in infrastructure maintenance, so this alters the landscape
for considering electricity system change. For example, in Germany, a national-level
commitment to transitioning to a renewables-based electricity system has highlighted
challenges regarding long-distance transmission planning. Microgrid planning in Denmark
addresses system resilience as well as environmental concerns. In Italy, smart meter
installations were initially driven by a desire to address electricity theft. In both the United
States and Europe, preparing the grid to become more resilient to disruptions has become
one of several motivations for growing interest in smart grid innovation.
The term smart grid does not have a precise, uniformly accepted definition. Rather,
it is a vague, politically attractive, seemingly benign, and somewhat ambiguous phrase.
After all, who would argue for a “dumb grid?” It is an umbrella term that encompasses
many different technical and social changes affecting the electricity system. And different
individuals and institutions have different perceptions of what specifically a “smarter”
grid looks like and what it should do. A common theme across different definitions of
smart grid is the further integration of information technology into electricity system
management.Assuch,smartgridincludesbothhardwareandsoftware.Itincludesavariety
of interlinked technologies including advanced meters and sensors, the management of
“big data,” and other technological configurations that enable increased reliability, more
renewable electricity, and improved efficiency, resilience, and flexibility.
The many motivations for smart grid also include the potential to lower the cost of
the system through efficiency improvements and managing peak demand. To produce
electricity during periods of peak demand, utilities run expensive and inefficient plants,
making the electricity more costly; if the demand for electricity during peak hours was
reduced, fewer power plants would have to be built or maintained to meet these infrequent
high-demand periods. A “smarter” grid could also promote more engaged electricity
consumers, supporting both those who install their own renewable generation and those