Stimulus spending on ‘Smart Grid’ will benefit renewables

SCOTTSDALE, USA: GWS Technologies Inc., an alternative energy company developing and marketing solar and wind-powered renewable energy products and solutions, sees substantial benefits for wind and solar energy projects in White House's recent announcement that $3.4 billion will be allocated to modernize the nation’s electrical power system to more easily use renewable resources.

The money will be released in the form of grants to applicants and must be matched dollar for dollar by private funding. The grants are a result of an allocation of funds to smart grid projects in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

“One of the biggest obstacles to developing more wind and solar power on a utility-size scale has been the lack of transmission lines tied to an electrical grid that’s capable of delivering clean electricity from the best solar and wind sites to the point of use,” said GWS President Richard Reincke.

Reincke added that “Building a ‘smart grid’ will allow utilities to integrate renewable energy sources from distant locations with their existing generation sources and synchronize consumers’ energy use to coincide with maximum production times for wind and solar power.”

GWS Technologies is currently evaluating sites for wind and solar farms in Arizona, Texas, and Montana.