Kerry Frustrated By Pace Of Smart Grid
Senate Commerce Communications, Technology, and the Internet Subcommittee Chairman John Kerry, D-Mass., expressed "frustration" Tuesday that the Obama administration has not moved fast enough to build out the country's electricity infrastructure. "I don't often express frustrations publicly about things on the administration, but this is one ... I don't get it. I don't understand ... why this wasn't issue almost number one," Kerry said during a subcommittee hearing. "[If] you want to get the economy moving, you've got to build out America's grid."
Federal Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra responded by saying the administration is committed to working with Congress on policies for connecting the country's regional electricity grids but acknowledged that the White House has not unveiled its own proposal on the issue. According to Kerry, efforts to unite these systems might be essential before the country can begin saving energy through widespread use of smart grid technology.
Smart grid electricity networks increase the efficiency of electricity use by monitoring and adjusting how much power goes to users. For example, output could be optimized so certain appliances receive more power during off-peak hours. Citing the need to connect the nation's electricity infrastructure before such technology could have a major impact, Kerry said that "we don't even have a grid," much less a smart grid.
The hearing sought input from technology experts on what Congress can do to foster energy efficiency technologies, which could cut carbon outputs and slice costs, according to witnesses. Witnesses called for the federal government to act as a role model by adopting such technologies itself. They also said Congress should develop clear policies related to these tools, provide tax incentives for adoption, and offer other incentives to spur utilities to promote such technologies. "Most utilities have little incentive to sell you and me less energy," Adrian Tuck, CEO of the smart grid company Tendril Networks, said.
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