Northeastern US heat wave underscores need to invest in smart grid technologies

ATLANTA, USA: Bob Gilligan, vice president, GE’s Digital Energy business, issued this statement about how the heat wave in the northeastern US underscores the need for the country to invest in smart grid technologies:

“As record-breaking temperatures in the northeastern United States have consumers turning up their air conditioners, our overburdened electric grid is taking center stage,” Gilligan said.

“The heat wave is causing spikes in power demand, increasing the probability of service disruptions. This provides an example of the demand levels the grid can expect to see in the future as penetration of electric heating and cooling continue to expand, and as new demands like plug-in electric vehicles enter the market.

“Investing in smart grid technologies can enable utilities to better manage fluctuating consumer demand and keep the AC on without adding more generation and transmission capacity,” Gilligan noted.

“While some have expressed concern about the cost of smart grid investments, electric power outages and blackouts cost the nation about $80 billion annually. In addition, the cost of generating a kilowatt-hour of electricity is orders-of-magnitude greater than the cost of saving a kWh through adding intelligence to the grid and improving energy efficiency.

“If implemented the right way, smart grid technologies can not only help keep our air conditioners on, but can also help lessen our dependence on fossil fuels, lower CO2 emissions and empower consumers to make smarter energy choices—positively impacting our nation’s energy stability.”