Did You Know?
Interesting facts about the Green Smart Grid
Demand response, the heart of the smart grid, could account for
a fifth of U.S. electricity.
Jon Wellinghoff, Chairman, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC),
cited by Reuters, “Smart Grid Good for Big
Solar, Wind: US Regulator,” October 2009
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FERC’s estimated 20 percent reduction in peak demand “if
realized, can reduce significantly the number of power plants needed to
meet peak demand and thereby reduce carbon emissions by as much as 1.2
billion tons of carbon annually.”
Jon Wellinghoff, Chairman, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC),
testimony before the Committee on Environment and Public Works, United States
Senate, August 2009
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Cutting demand by a few minutes or seconds also could let the U.S.
grid cheaply incorporate renewable sources like wind and solar that otherwise
would need backup from plants that stayed idle most of the time.
FERC Chairman Jon Wellinghoff, cited by Reuters, “Smart Grid Good
for Big Solar, Wind: US Regulator,” October 2009
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The Smart Grid can reduce emissions by 60 to 211 million metric
tons of CO2 a year by 2030.
Electric Power Research Institute(EPRI), “The Green Grid: Energy Savings
and Carbon Emissions Reductions Enabled by a Smart Grid,” June 2008
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If the electrical grid were 5% more efficient it could displace
the equivalent of 42 coal-fire power plants.
Jon Wellinghoff, Commissioner, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
(FERC), testimony before the Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality,
US House of Representatives, May 2007
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The Smart Grid empowers consumers to control their own carbon footprints.
North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), “Electric
Industry Concerns on the Reliability Impacts of Climate Change Initiatives," November
2008
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According to one utility, installing smart meters will take 114
meter reading and maintenance vehicles off the road and avoid 1.2 million
miles of driving and eliminating 1.5 million pounds of CO2.
Portland Gas & Electric, “PGE Moves Forward on Smart Meter Installation
Territory-Wide,” April 2009
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Smart Grid technologies can help families save 10% on their power
bills.
Pacific Northwest National Laboratories, “Pacific Northwest GridWise
Testbed Demonstration Projects,” October 2007
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The Smart Grid helps reduce emissions by managing electricity
peak load, CO2 emissions on peak can be 230% higher than off
peak.
San Diego Gas & Electric and Southern California Gas
Company, “Proposed Energy Efficiency Risk-Reward Incentive
Mechanism and E M&V Activities” (comments filed with
the Public Utilities Commission of California, Docket R0901019),
May 2009
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website »
Expanded development of the Smart Grid would result in a 16% drop
in CO2 emissions by 2030, the equivalent of taking 90 million cars off
the road.
Ryan Hledik, The Brattle Group Inc., "How Green
Is the Smart Grid?", The Electricity Journal, 2009, vol.
22, issue 3, pages 29-41
Studies show that consumers who receive information about their
electricity usage through Smart Grid devices use up to 20% less energy.
The Brattle Group, "The Impact of Informational Feedback on Energy
Consumption---A Survey of the Experimental Evidence," May 2009
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"Demand response [is] a 'dance partner' for variable renewable
generation, such as wind power. Demand response can ... manage
the down 'ramps' that occur in wind plant output."
Rick Sergel, President and CEO North American Electric Reliability
Corporation, Executive Remarks to the Energy Future Coalition
Working Group, November 21, 2008
Wind tends to blow hardest at night instead of the time when people
have the most demand for electricity.
The Wall Street Journal, “Unbridled Energy: Predicting
Volatile Wind, Sun,” October 2009
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source website »
“Currently, every wind farm and solar installation has
to be backed up by a nearly equivalent amount of conventional
fuel to keep the power grid running. That raises costs.”
The Wall Street Journal, “Unbridled Energy: Predicting
Volatile Wind, Sun,” October 2009
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source website »
Demand Response programs in Texas helped prevent a major blackout
there in 2008 when there was a sudden drop in wind capacity.
National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, “ERCOT
Event on February 26, 2008: Lessons Learned,” July 2008
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Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles on a smart grid will displace
millions of gallons of oil per day, leading to a net decrease in carbon
emissions.
US Department of Energy, “The Smart Grid: An Introduction,” 2008
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Utilities will not be able to meet Renewable Portfolio Standards
without a smart grid.
Global Environment Fund and Global Smart Energy, “The Electricity
Economy: New Opportunities from the Transformation of the Electric Power
Sector,” August 2008
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“Approximately two-thirds of the fuel burned to generate
electricity is lost in the generation and delivery process. Or, to put
it another way, our electric power system operates at approximately 33
percent efficiency.”
Galvin Electricity Initiative, “The Electric Power System is Inefficient”
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“[T]he energy generated by incremental wind resources attributable
to Smart Grid development is [estimated to be] 33.4 to 66.8 billion kWh
in 2030.”
Electric Power Research Institute(EPRI), “The Green Grid: Energy Savings
and Carbon Emissions Reductions Enabled by a Smart Grid,” June 2008
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A 5% reduction of nationwide electricity consumption, due to smart
metering coupled with “time-of-day” pricing, would eliminate
the need for 625 new combustion turbines.
Christian Science Monitor, “Juicing Down for
Global Warming,” July 2007
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“In 2009, an estimated 147 megawatts of energy-oriented storage
were developed....”
New York Times, “Companies Race to Develop Utility-Scale
Power Storage,” September 2009, cited by GTM Research, “Grid
Scale Energy Storage: Technologies and Forecasts through 2015,” August
2009
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Without action, energy consumption is expected to rise by as
much as 25% by 2012 in the EU. Smart Grid enabled feedback devices can reduce that consumption by 10%.
European Commission, “Addressing the challenge of energy efficiency through Information and Communication Technologies,” May 2008
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Demand-side response can also help accommodate integration of renewables.
International
Confederation of Energy Regulators, “World Energy
Regulators’ Statement on Climate Change,” October 2009
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