Smart Grid’s Future: Evaluating Policy Opportunities and Challenges After the Recovery Act

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 earmarked $11 billion for smart grid technologies to modernize and enhance the nation’s electric transmission infrastructure. A year later, what are the most promising benefits for everyday citizens who gain access to the grid? What is the right policy path moving forward to realize the promise of the smart grid?

On July 14, the Center for Technology Innovation at Brookings hosted a forum of leading technology and energy public officials and experts to discuss the smart grid’s future. Panel discussions focused on consumer views about smart grid technology, evaluating benefits that come from access to new electric infrastructure, the concerns raised by consumers as to how the smart grid could develop, and the opportunities to use behavioral insights to inform how smart grid technology can operate in practice. Panelists examined emerging smart grid technologies, investigating the different types of architectures that are being developed. The business realities related to the smart grid, and the opportunities and challenges confronting vendors to develop innovations taking advantage of smart grid architecture, rounded out the forum.

After each panel, speakers took audience questions.