Cisco scores Duke Energy for smart grid work

Cisco Systems certainly hasn't wasted any time in finding high-profile partners for its smart grid technology aspirations. The networking giant signed a three-year alliance with Duke Energy under which it will help the utility company (which is North America's third-largest) convert its existing delivery system into a smart grid that includes two-way communications capabilities.

Cisco hopes to gain the upper hand in projects like these because of its ability to support what it describes as "internet protocol-based open standards." Essentially by helping utilities avoid placing a costly bet on a proprietary infrastructure that might not be supported in the future. Cisco actually will operate as a bit of services company on the project, helping Duke Energy evaluate smart grid software and technology that might be appropriate. It also gets a piece of the action when it comes to installing "home energy management devices."

Duke Energy's projects will touch Ohio, where the company will begin a five-year deployment of 700,000 electric smart meters and 450,000 natural gas smart meters later this year; Indiana, where it is eying 800,000 smart meters; and North Carolina, South Carolina and Kentucky.

Disclosure: Please note that Cisco's worldwide partner business unit helps pay some of my bills through consulting and communications projects, but I have nothing to do with the divisions working on any of its technologies in the green realm—other than periodic briefings and news alerts that I receive along with the rest of the green technology journalist community.