Statistics and facts about smart grids in the U.S.
by Isabel Wagner
Smart grids are multi-directional networks that monitor, measure and manage the transport of
electricity. In an increasingly complex world, faced with growing
peak demand and an ageing electricity infrastructure, the implementation of a nationwide smart grid is crucial to making U.S. energy supply more reliable, energy-efficient and sustainable. Furthermore, smart grids are an important element for expanding the use of a number of technologies, including
electric vehicles and
renewable energy sources such as geothermal power, wind energy and solar heat and power.
The U.S. smart grid market is highly incentivized by the U.S. government. To date, companies like Honeywell, General Electric, Trilliant Networks and
Itron have received between around
60 and 300 million U.S. dollars in funding. In 2011, the U.S. smart grid market was sized at around 30 billion U.S. dollars.