Obama Smart Grid Push: Putting $3.4 Billion Towards New System

ARCADIA, Fla. — President Barack Obama made a pitch for renewable energy Tuesday, announcing $3.4 billion in government support for 100 projects aimed at modernizing the nation's power grid.

Touring a field of solar energy panels in west-central Florida, the president urged greater use of several technologies to make America's power transmission system more efficient and better suited to the digital age. The projects include installing "smart" electric meters in homes, automating utility substations, and installing thousands of new digital transformers and grid sensors.

"There's something big happening in America in terms of creating a clean-energy economy," Obama said, although he added there is much more to be done.

He likened the effort to the ambitious development of the national highway system 50 years ago. He said modernization would lead to a "smarter, stronger and more secure electric grid."

Under muggy skies, Obama toured the DeSoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center, which is designed to generate enough energy for about 3,000 residential customers of the utility FPL. It is the nation's largest photovoltaic electricity facility.

Obama said a modern grid could give consumers better control over their electricity usage and costs, and spur development of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar.

The $3.4 billion in grants from the government's January economic stimulus program will be matched by $4.7 billion in private investments. The smallest grant will be $400,000 and the largest $200 million.

"We have a very antiquated (electric grid) system in our country," Carol Browner, assistant to the president for energy and climate change, told reporters. "The current system is outdated, it's dilapidated."

Matt Rogers, the Energy Department official involved in the program, said the 100 projects were selected from 400 proposed. The money will be distributed over the next two months and the work is expected to be done over the next one to three years, he said.

Even as Obama pitched more efficient and renewable energy use, his trip to Arcadia made it clear that old habits and dependencies die hard. He arrived in a motorcade of gas-guzzling SUVs. While waiting for the motorcade to get started, several vans kept their engines running to provide air conditioning for occupants escaping a hot Florida sun.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which has been at odds with Obama over health care, energy and other matters, praised the clean-energy initiative.

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Associated Press reporter H. Josef Hebert in Washington contributed to this report.

Comments

[jsgaetano]

When the government dumps large amounts of money into projects like this, there has to be a return on the investment, and I'm talking equity.

Conservatives are the champions of never getting anything done, then getting the government to hand them money. That has to stop- conservative ideology has proven itself to be a disasterous failure which never, ever works in the real work.

If private industry doesn't want to build a new power grid, and the government is forced to do it, that means the government owns it. They can charge rates to the private companies, with the profit going towards the public good.

[abbienormal]

The choice of the word "futuristic" is a little odd. This technology is not crazy new.

[MikeLicht]

The biggest threat to America'a power grid?

See:

http://notionscapital.wordpress.com/2009/10/24/terrorists-strike-u-s-infrastructure/

[mmille732003]

the wonderful prez just keeps moving forward leaving republicans in the dust as usual.

[commonsense68130]

The smart grid is a fantastic idea, especially if you want to allow utility companies to control the appliances in your home. This will be critically important when global climate change becomes a crisis.

Good thing this administration is so transparent, that way dopes like me don't have to point out the massive donation by GE to the democrat party. http://bit.ly/UUeHX It's a good thing the lobbyist have really been shut out of this administration.

I sure am glad Obama is president, I'm not sure I would trust the Bush administration with the ability to shut off my internet or television remotely. http://bit.ly/3IgmbE I hope the ACLU is on top of this, I wouldn't want to lose my civil liberties while I think I'm saving the earth. http://bit.ly/m35cP

[balmora]

Extremely well said. All very valid points and I appreciated the subtle sarcasm as well. Bravo.

[abbienormal]

It is highly unlikely that anyone would want to shut off your appliances remotely. They will just charge you more for using them certain times of the day.

Paranoid much?

[AProudLiberalDem]

Well said. We on the left are violently opposed to the government being in our bedroom, but are complacent when it comes to allowing the government or third parties in our homes. This is government intrusion and we should recognize it for what it is.

[lthuedk 1]

Obamas just creating another healthy civilization for the Conservative mind to invade, weaken, and destroy.

Face it, the Conservative is the Republic's pox.

http://www.light-to-dark.com/pox_americana.html

[CommunistUtopia]

Another big waste of money.

[sherbug]

Why?

[ClassicLeft]

With the unified grid the US will save billions of dollars. No president had the guts to push this. How in the world investments in technology is waste of money. The US was built with money from technology.

[CommunistUtopia]

The government should not be involved. It should be businesses who are doing this. Per the Constitution of the USA, this is not the role of the federal government. How do we know that is the best use of a scarce economic resources (money)? Could the private sector do better (Yes)? Why does the government favor one business over another or one industry over another? Is it because a politician is getting paid off?

[Sensiblebg]

And for my next trick: Watch me make this money disappear

[marignymitch]

HuffPo eds: Again the word is 'toward' not 'towards'. Make a note of it.

[redraspberry]

My coop installed smart meters three years ago. I want them to offer broadband though the electric lines like they promised too but have not done so.

This country needs universal broadband and the government should be leading the wqay on this much like the rural electrification done during the 30's.

[AProudLiberalDem]

Yes and offer broadband for free. We deserve free medical care, homes, broadband/­communicat­ions, transportation and food. It is our constitutional right under the 10th amendment's "welfare of the people".

[3dtrix]

"Futuristic" is one of the hallmark adjectives of poor journalism, or editing - at one time, steam locomotives were "futuristi­c"...

[ZenDiagram]

This is a drop in the bucket. We'll need at least a hundred times that to upgrade our grid enough to support electric cars drawing energy off the grid. I applaud Obama for this (yeah, really!) but more needs to be done.

[Vimes]

Or set up charging stations just like we now have gas stations.

[Vimes]

Stations with their own electricity producing capabilities to reduce their need to draw from the general grid.

[Vimes]

Sounds like a great idea. A strong infrastructure is a necessity for wealth and prosperity as a nation. The US is currently lagging several western countries in prioritizing its infrastructure.

[Rmath]

The U.S. is beginning to lag behind the EU in so many areas that it is embarrassing.

Not only is it the electric grid and our railway system and our highways and other infrastructure. It is also our telephone networks and fiber optic networks and internet pathways.

Overall, we're lagging behind all those horrible "socialist" nations, which have somehow managed to get hugely ahead of us in technology. So much for the "free market".

[countfloyd]

You know what else they have in the EU? Nuclear power. We made a horrible mistake turning away from that technology.

[StarDagger]

Lagging is hardly the word, some of the grid is the same equipment from WW2!!!

The USA would be Bulgaria if it were in the EU, oh wait the US wouldnt not qualify to APPLY to the EU due to human rights violations (death penalty and torture) AND economic reasons (debt as a percentage of GNP and a weak currency)

The USA is no longer a superpower, deal with it.

[Tom95134]

$3.5 billion... a drop in the bucket. It will take that much just to modernize the electrical grid in California so we can begin serious conversion to plug-in hybrids or all-electric cars.

It's time to get serious!

[Liberal2]

Given how vunerable our utilities already are to hackers and denial-of-services attacks, a fully computer controlled (aka: computerr dependent) electrical system is just what we need.