Michael Giberson
FERC has posted it’s proposed smart grid policy statement and invited comments (comments due 45 days after the statement is published in the Federal Register). FERC offers this summary:
This proposed policy statement and action plan provides guidance to inform the development of a smarter grid for the Nation’s electric transmission system focusing on the development of key standards to achieve interoperability of smart grid devices and systems. The Commission also proposes a rate policy for the interim period until interoperability standards are adopted. Smart grid investments that demonstrate system security and compliance with Commission-approved Reliability Standards, the ability to be upgraded, and other specified criteria will be eligible for timely rate recovery and other rate treatments. This rate policy will encourage development of smart grid systems.
FERC’s efforts are directed toward transmission issues, where it has uncontested jurisdiction (more or less). Let us hope that we don’t end of with 50+ different state and local policy statements addressing local area wires infrastructure and retail power trading.
The archived webcast of today’s FERC meeting, which did focus on the smart grid policy statement, is now available, or you can download the 31-minute smart grid discussion in mp3 format – just long enough for the typical automobile commute.