Smart Grid Update

"Transforming our nation's grid has been compared in significance with building the interstate highway system
or the development of the Internet. These efforts, rightly regarded as revolutionary, were preceded by countless
evolutionary steps."-- U.S. Department of Energy The Smart Grid: An Introduction

West Virginia

West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin visited the Research Ridge Test Facility -- a "smart grid" initiative in Morgantown -- that demonstrates technologies to support electricity reliability and energy efficiency. Developed by electricity provider Allegheny Energy and technology company Augusta Systems, the facility demonstrates how a smart grid can link all of the various technologies -- from the customer's air conditioner to the utility's substation -- into a single, more efficient network. "Smart grid is a hot topic at the national level as utilities attempt to modernize their electricity delivery systems," said Manchin in a release. "The Research Ridge Test Facility is a great example of how smart grid innovation is occurring in West Virginia. This project demonstrates how smart grid can benefit customers in our state and throughout the nation with improved electricity delivery and cost-effective management of energy usage."

Microsoft Reference Architecture for Integrated Utilities

Microsoft Corp. announced it has developed a reference architecture that can serve as the basis for development of the "integrated utility of the future." The Microsoft Smart Energy Reference Architecture (SERA) is Microsoft's first comprehensive reference architecture that addresses technology integration throughout the full scope of the smart energy ecosystem, according to a company release. SERA helps utilities by providing a method of testing the alignment of information technology with their business processes to create an integrated utility. This is the second utility offering to be released from Microsoft in four months, following the announcement of Microsoft Hohm, an online application developed to enhance the experience of utilities' customers and provide further insight into the supply and demand of residential energy use.