Article #100 - What is GridWise?

GridWise™ is built on the premise that information technology will revolutionize planning and operation of the power grid just as it has changed business, education and entertainment. Information technology will form the "nervous system" that integrates new distributed technologies - demand response, distributed generation and storage - with traditional grid generation, transmission and distribution assets. Responsibility for managing the grid will be shared by a "society" of devices and entities.

The Electric System Is Evolving

Issues and uncertainties surround our electric infrastructure. A $450 billion investment is needed by 2020 to meet load growth using business-as-usual solutions. Many factors limit the deployment of efficient, new alternative technologies. Volatile prices contribute to economic uncertainty. And the power grid is vulnerable to natural or man-made disruptions.

Picture instead a future power grid that takes full advantage of advanced communications, information and controls technology - one in which "smart" machines talk to the power grid, optimizing when to turn on based on the real-time cost of power. Or companies invest in their own electricity generation, selling excess power directly to other companies. Imagine a system that puts the electric consumer at the center, rather than the end of the line. Such a power grid would be highly efficient and offer greater physical and economic security. This is the vision of the GridWise Architecture Council.

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Last Modified: 2006-09-18