Smart Grid Technologies

Smart Grid Technologies have emerged as critical components of the energy infrastructure in North Carolina and the United States. The national energy grid links nearly 6,000 power plants, tens of thousands of power substations, millions of miles of transmission and distribution lines, and countless industries, businesses and homes. As the grid infrastructure ages, incorporating new technologies doesn’t just deliver power more efficiently, it embraces two-way 21st century communication technologies that help ensure the growing demand for reliable and affordable electricity is met.
 

Smart Grid technologies are being developed to:

  • Provide reliable and adequate power for the digital economy

  • Provide consumers with information and opportunities to control their own energy consumption, budgets and generation sources

  • Accommodate additional electric generation and storage options and decentralize generation

  • Optimize power generation resources and efficiency, improve outage management, and improve maintenance

  • Anticipate and respond to system disturbances with continuous system-wide self-assessment and automatic responses for a reliable and secure electrical supply

For more information and resources on Smart Grid Technologies, please visit SmartGrid.gov, the federal government’s gateway to information on initiatives that support the development of technologies, policies and projects to transform the electric power industry.