Report details action plan for smart grid standards

It shouldn't surprise you to hear that the 90-page smart grid standards document released in late September by the U.S. Commerce Department lists no fewer than 80 standards that are vying for some role in the nation's smart grid infrastructure.

The analysis ("NIST Framework and Roadmap for Smart Grid Interoperability Standards, Release 1.0), which was produced by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), outlines what it calls 14 "priority action plans" that will contribute to building the interoperability necessary to make all this stuff work together. It's available publicly at this link for comment and review.

After the framework is finalized (hopefully by the end of 2009), NIST will build something called the Smart Grid Interoperability Panel, which will be funded by some of the stimulus money earmarked for smart grid projects.  This private-public forum will work together on testing and certification of standards interoperability.