DoE Smart Grid Funding Starting to Flow

Yesterday President Obama announced $3.4 billion in government grants to improve the efficiency of the nation’s electrical transmission network.  The grants range from $400,000 to $200 million and will be used to develop and install “smart-grid” technology to make electricity transmission more reliable and aid the delivery of energy generated from sources like wind and solar power.  The money comes from the ARRA program.  Obama made the smart grid announcement at Florida Power & Light Co.’s DeSoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center.  President Obama mentioned smart meters and called climate-change legislation critical to a clean-energy economy.

I personally heard yesterday of a $200 million grant to a power utility company.  First Energy has announced a $54.7 million grant for smart grid technology.  So I think ARRA smart grid money is starting to flow. The 100 government grants in 49 states are being matched by $4.7 billion in private investments.

Geoff Zeiss

Geoff Zeiss

Geoff Zeiss has more than 20 years experience in the geospatial software industry and 15 years experience developing enterprise geospatial solutions for the utilities, communications, and public works industries. His particular interests include the convergence of BIM, CAD, geospatial, and 3D. In recognition of his efforts to evangelize geospatial in vertical industries such as utilities and construction, Geoff received the Geospatial Ambassador Award at Geospatial World Forum 2014. Currently Geoff is Principal at Between the Poles, a thought leadership consulting firm. From 2001 to 2012 Geoff was Director of Utility Industry Program at Autodesk Inc, where he was responsible for thought leadership for the utility industry program. From 1999 to 2001 he was Director of Enterprise Software Development at Autodesk. He received one of ten annual global technology awards in 2004 from Oracle Corporation for technical innovation and leadership in the use of Oracle. Prior to Autodesk Geoff was Director of Product Development at VISION* Solutions. VISION* Solutions is credited with pioneering relational spatial data management, CAD/GIS integration, and long transactions (data versioning) in the utility, communications, and public works industries. Geoff is a frequent speaker at geospatial and utility events around the world including Geospatial World Forum, Where 2.0, MundoGeo Connect (Brazil), Middle East Spatial Geospatial Forum, India Geospatial Forum, Location Intelligence, Asia Geospatial Forum, and GITA events in US, Japan and Australia. Geoff received Speaker Excellence Awards at GITA 2007-2009.

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