USA - Intelligent Energy Technology - Smart Grids

Synopsis

Archived report: this report was archived in December 2010 and has not been updated.

As the imperative to address global warming has become a matter of social, political and economic urgency, by 2010 utilities were rapidly developing smart grids as part of the need to improve the efficiency of energy production and use. Emerging from recession, there was a growing consensus within the US that clean energy is a platform for rebuilding the American economy and that smart grids are critical to a sustainable energy future. An integral aspect of smarts grid are smart meters, with the proportion of US homes equipped with smart meters estimated to rise from 6% to 35% over the next five years. By early 2010 the Obama economic stimulus package had awarded $4 billion for smart grid developments. Smart grid developments in North America were rapidly gathering momentum and were expected to become a mainstream aspect of utility business in coming years.

This report provides an overview of smart grid developments in the USA as at 2010.