Smart Grid Blog

Welcome. For the past 4 or 5 weeks, we have been on a quest to overview and understand Special NIST Document 1108, the NIST Framework and Roadmap for Smart Grid Interoperability Standards. But for this week, YHA (your humble author) thought it might be good to take a break from that topic, as riveting as it is for you the ISGO (interested Smart Grid observer.) 'Why', you might ask, 'would we stop the avalanche of interest in interop that we have going for us? Why dash the hopes of thousands of loyal readers such as us, glued to every line, yearning to learn more about the Roadmap?'

'Well,' I might reply, 'because I said so.'

And also, a lot of other people say so. You see, Loyal Reader, the topic of the week is, and ought to be, our National Energy policy. Or lack thereof. By now, most of us in the electric power industry, along with observers/participants in other energy and energy-related industries, have pretty much reached the conclusion that we need an energy policy at the federal level. Let's face it: it isn't something most of us think about every day, although we do have the intermittent suspicion that maybe we should. But there are some folks thinking about it a lot, and most of them are starting to worry. Worry that the summer will slip away, and with it, the momentum and opportunity to get a national energy bill through Congress.

Because there are also a number of important people who are not thinking about national energy policy. Of course, there are a variety of pressing political problems, including deep sea oil wells and generals that leak badly. And banking reform, and a weak Euro, unfortunately not offset by a surprisingly strong soccer team. And, we understand that Washington is in some ways only as good as its current crisis. OK, maybe 'good' is a little strong.

You may or may not know that YHA is something of a constitutionalist. Not so strict as some, but certainly I do not believe that the federal gov't is the answer to every problem. Nevertheless, this is a thing that is worth some focus. Here are the top 5 reasons why a national energy policy should be a priority:

1. US consumers need a dose of consciousness-raising and education with respect to energy, to continue to make the transition from bystander to participant.
2. The rest of the world needs to see the US step forward in energy, or risk losing (perhaps losing more of) its leadership role in energy policy and technology development.
3. State regulatory agencies need more consistent framework as a backdrop for their individual policies.
4. Investors in all forms of grid technology, as well as asset owners, need a strong signal, especially about carbon pricing, in order for the market to develop, with all the related economic and environmental implications.
5. The US needs a coherent, long-term plan to balance its energy books, and get on a realistic path to energy independence, with all the resultant economic, environmental, and homeland security benefits.

I believe it was Mark Twain who said: "The American people can be counted on to do the right thing. After they have exhausted all other alternatives." In a case as complex as national energy policy, let's hope we don't have to wait for all other approaches to fail before we put enough muscle in to get a coherent, long-term plan that will protect our planet, give people important work to do, and minimize the possibility of future armed conflict over resources.