SCE’s Smart Grid
A smarter grid will enable us to deliver more renewable energy into the electricity supply, give our customers more power to control their energy use and costs, and help prevent large-scale power outages. With high-tech digital devices incorporated throughout the electric system along with advanced intelligence, the smart grid will provide information necessary to optimize electric service and empower customers to make informed energy decisions. SCE is now investing $1.5 billion in grid technologies, and we’re leading efforts on a national level to establish standards for smart grid interconnectivity and security.
Strategy
Vision
The United States is at a critical juncture regarding energy. The stakes for addressing climate change, energy independence and infrastructure security are high. Policymakers on the federal and state levels recognize the need for:
- A smarter, more robust electricity infrastructure in order to meet objectives related to relying more on renewable generation
- Using electricity as a fuel for vehicles
- Enabling consumers to become active participants in the energy supply chain
- And ensuring the continued reliability and vitality of our nation’s energy economy.
SCE is addressing these challenges while continuing to operate the grid in a safe and reliable manner.
SCE has been a leader in fostering the development of advanced grid technologies and the adoption of technology to create a smarter grid. We recognized the need for a smarter grid more than a decade ago. The climate and energy policy objectives introduced since then, and after the 2001 energy crisis, underscored this need. Smart grid technologies are recognized as a main investment area for the next 20 years.
Industry Leadership
SCE is a founding member of most major smart grid organizations, and has been recognized for leadership by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). More than 100 foreign and domestic utilities have turned to us for best practices on smart grid concepts like smart meters, synchrophasor measurement, electric vehicle integration, energy storage, integrating renewable energy and other smart grid technologies. SCE encourages open innovation and is a leading contributor to the development of shared knowledge.
Awards & Recognition
- 2010 GreenTech Media Smart Grid Top 100
- 2009 Computerworld Premier 100 IT Leaders 2010, Computerworld Magazine
- 2009 GridWise Applied Award, GridWise Architecture Council
- Earth2Tech 2009, "Top 15 Smart Grid Influencers"
- Power Delivery & Utilization Technology Transfer Award (2009) from the Electric Power Research Institute for advancing development of smart-charging technology for electric vehicles
- 2008 KITE Award, Technology Innovation, EnergyBiz Magazine
- Recognized by the United States Department of Energy and the Electric Power Research Institute for our work supporting open standards and smart grid development
- T&D Automation Project of the Year award (2007) by Utility Automation & Engineering T&D magazine
- Smart Grid Implementation and Deployment Leadership award (2007) by the U.S. Department of Energy