CITY LAUNCHES SMART GRID

The next generation of energy efficiency in commercial/industrial/residential buildings will come through a Smart Grid capable of Demand Response. The effectiveness of such programs depend a great deal on the power customers. (For more on this, see SMARTGRID and DEMAND RESPONSE AND THE ELECTRON CONSUMER)

In pursuit of better serving its power customers, Xcel Energy, the huge and progressive Midwestern and Western utility, will spend $100 million to test the tenants and limits of a Smart Grid in Boulder, Colorado.

Why Boulder? Because it’s citizens are 85% online, 70% college-educated and activist. That’s the kind of customer that will make Smart Grid work. In other words, to build a better energy consumption system, it will be necessary to build a better consumer.

Interesting proposition: To build a better system, first build a better participant.

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Xcel Energy launches $100 ‘Smart City Grid’ program in Boulder
May 16, 2008 (AP via yahoo Finance)

WHO
Xcel Energy (Dick Kelly, chairman-president-CEO)

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WHAT
Xcel will fund a Smart Grid pilot project to explore strengths, weaknesses and possibilities.

WHEN
- The project has launched. The first phase will run thru August 2008. It will be fully installed by 2009.
- If the Boulder project is successful, Xcel will likely start installing more Smart Grid projects by 2010.

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WHERE
- Xcel chose Boulder, Colorado, for the pilot project.
- 8 cities in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Colorado were considered.
- Xcel Energy is Colorado's biggest electric utility.

WHY
- For the power customer, Smart Grid offers the ability to cut consumption and thereby cut bills.
- For the utility, Smart Grid offers the possibility of managing peak demand periods with a Demand Response that prevents brownouts and power failures.
- Xcel chose Boulder because Smart grid requires an attentive, intelligent consumer and Boulder’s citizens are 85% online, 70% college-educated and activist.
- In phase 1, smart meters will be installed at the consumer level and high-speed communication equipment will be installed in power transformers.

click thru to Xcel website for more details

QUOTES
Dick Kelly, chairman-president-CEO, Xcel Energy: "This is a forward-thinking project that will transform the way we do business…In SmartGridCity, our customers will have more information, including the tools to communicate directly with us, and will choose when and how they use their energy based on price, generating resource or convenience."