About IEEE Standards

IEEE launches smart-grid standards project
It could serve as the foundation for an IT-driven upgrade of the electricity grid
By Grant Gross
May 4, 2009 12:00 PM ET

IDG News Service – The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers has launched a new project to create standards and interoperability for the so-called smart grid, an IT-driven upgrade of the electricity grid.
The organization has approved a project with the lengthy title, the IEEE 2030 Guide for Smart Grid Interoperability of Energy Technology and Information Technology Operation with the Electric Power System (EPS) and End-Use Applications and Loads (P2030). Chip maker Intel will host the first meeting to discuss the smart-grid guide in Santa Clara, Calif. June 3-5. That meeting is open to people and organizations interested in contributing to the guide, IEEE said in a statement.
Through its open standards process, IEEE’s goal for P2030 is to provide a knowledge base for defining smart-grid interoperability, including helping the electric power system work with end-use applications and devices, such as smart electricity meters, IEEE said.
“With its rich heritage and vast membership from a broad range of technology sectors, IEEE is uniquely positioned to enable power engineering, communications and information technology to coalesce,” Chuck Adams, president of the IEEE Standards Association, said in a statement. “This landmark initiative, which spans multiple diverse industries, will tap into the numerous ubiquitously deployed IEEE standards developed by a variety of expert groups. IEEE P2030 will define key elements of the modernized grid, and it will accelerate progress in making the smart grid a reality.”
People pushing for the development of a smart grid, including President Barack Obama, say an updated electricity grid will allow utilities to better use alternative energy sources and more easily transmit electricity to areas that need it, and will allow customers to track their electricity use and save money.
Earlier this year, the U.S. Congress included $4.5 billion for smart-grid projects in a huge economic stimulus package.
Interoperability has been one of the key concerns about building a smart grid in the U.S.

Purpose
This standard provides guidelines in understanding and defining smart grid interoperability of the electric power system with end-use applications and loads. Integration of energy technology and information and communications technology is necessary to achieve seamless operation for electric generation, delivery, and end-use benefits to permit two way power flow with communication and control. Interconnection and intra-facing frameworks and strategies with design definitions are addressed in this standard, providing guidance in expanding the current knowledge base. This expanded knowledge base is needed as a key element in grid architectural designs and operation to promote a more reliable and flexible electric power system.