Smart Energy

A group of Washington State University researchers will be working with Avista utility company on a demonstration project that hopes to make the city of Pullman the region’s first smart grid community. The Pullman project is part of a Department of Energy regional smart grid demonstration project throughout the Northwest that is designed to expand upon existing electric infrastructure and test new smart grid technology.

Using smart grid technologies, the Pacific Northwest Smart Grid Demonstration Project, announced by DOE today, will test new combinations of devices, software and advanced analytical tools that enhance the power grid’s reliability and performance. The total estimated cost for the project is $178 million with DOE providing half the funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The project’s participants, primarily utilities and industry team members, will provide the remaining funds.

The $38-million Pullman project involves automation of many parts of the electric distribution system using advanced metering technology, enhanced communication, and other elements of the smart grid. The project is intended to show how smart grid technology can enhance the safety, reliability, and efficiency of energy delivery on a regional and national level.

As part of the project WSU, along with Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, is set to serve as a “micro-grid,” a locally based, electricity-producing power grid, said Anjan Bose, Regents Professor in the WSU School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS). Serving as a micro-grid, WSU will communicate with Avista to improve electric power efficiency throughout the community.

“The micro-grid provides a local way of controlling electricity production and distribution and should make the whole system more responsive to people’s needs,” said Bose. “This is a good demonstration project of one of the ways that we can make the grid smarter.”

Adapted from a press release published in WSU Today.