In
Monday’s edition of Salon, writer
Jennifer Kho details the “feeding
frenzy” that has erupted as a result of
the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). In Kho’s article, Jesse
Berst,
managing director of research firm Global Smart Energy, details the intense lobbying taking
place, as coalitions between utilities and venders are formed in an attempt to
capitalize on the promise of government funding from under the stimulus
bill. Berst even talks about the
“stimulus menu” created by one company—basically a table of the types of
projects eligible for stimulus funds along with the number of potential jobs
that can be associated with each project.
We’ve
talked about how distributed energy systems can partner with smart grid
technologies, and the stimulus package is yet another avenue of opportunity for
those of us involved in onsite power and energy efficiency. With $11 billion set aside for the smart
grid and $500 million earmarked for the creation of “green jobs,” there’s plenty
in the stimulus package to be happy about.
And, as Berst says, the focus on the “smart-grid” has been stimulating
the entire industry and “made people realize that here is the next place to
be.”
But
what is the “smart grid” for the purposes of government funding? That’s the question of the hour,
according to Susan Preston, general partner for the CalCEF Clean Energy Angel Fund. In the article, Preston is quoted as
saying, “If you’re trying to target grant money, you would like the definition
to be as expansive as possible, depending on what you’re doing.” For Preston, that means any technology
that uses power more efficiently—like
advanced sensors and meters, energy management software, and energy
storage. Onsite power systems have
proven their worth when it comes to efficiency, and it appears that, with the
aid of “smart grid” hype and stimulus package funds, that value will finally be
recognized—and
that will open up a whole new world of possibilities.
Click Here to
Read Kho’s article.