The ASD project will provide NV Energy with the smart grid infrastructure necessary to reduce operating costs and provide new options for customers to help manage their energy usage.
In August 2009, NV Energy applied for federal Smart Grid Investment Grant funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The Department of Energy (DOE) reserved $3.4bn for the Smart Grid Investment Grant program, making available up to 50% or $200m, whichever is less, of the total project cost per utility.
The company’s grant application included a letter of support from the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada (PUCN). The PUCN will be evaluating the ASD project as part of NV Energy’s integrated resource planning process in the coming months, and the company will be making other filings with the PUCN to facilitate the studies that are part of the project.
With a definitive DOE grant agreement in place, NV Energy will finalize its planning for the program, with the goal of completing installation of advanced service delivery infrastructure statewide in late 2012.
Michael Yackira, president and CEO of NV Energy, said: “This grant, along with our own investment in this project, will benefit virtually the entire state of Nevada. Our ASD project will change the way we do business, providing our customers with more information that will enable them to manage their energy use more effectively and efficiently.”
