Top 10 states leading U.S. smart grid deployment

There are 10 states in the United States that are leading the national effort to deploy the smart grid, according to a new report.

Together, they have been awarded 42 percent, or $1.9 billion, of the $4.5 billion earmarked in the stimulus (officially, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) for the smart grid.

And, according to a new report by Greentech Media Research, those states are "laying the groundwork for market development" of the smart grid.

The 10 states, with corresponding amounts of stimulus they are receiving, are:

• California ($303.4 million)
• Colorado ($24.1 million)
• Florida ($467.2 million)
• Massachusetts ($28.29 million)
• New Jersey ($212.4 million)
• New York ($232.2 million)
• North Carolina ($403.5 million)
• Ohio ($142.4 million)
• Pennsylvania ($466.3 million)
• Texas ($285.6 million)

Among them, you can count projects by 43 different companies, from multimillion-meter projects in Texas to a pilot program to install 1,750 advanced meters by Western Massachusetts Electric.

"These 10 states are the laboratories for U.S. smart-grid policy, and their influence on the pace and scope of deployment is durable and growing," report author and analyst Stephen Munro said. "Smart grid technology players will look to current state regulations for near-term activity as well as to anticipate how smart grid initiatives will adapt on a broader scale."

About 5 percent of Americans were equipped with some form of smart grid technology by the end of 2009. That number is forecast to increase ten-fold over the next five years.

Here's what each state is up to:

• California: The development of its metering infrastructure is "well under way," allowing utilities and other organizations to start thinking about electric vehicles, energy efficiency, neat-term usage information and time-of-use rates.
• Texas: Has a smart grid portal for residents and a regulatory implementation team in place to address issues related to charging electric vehicles.
• Pennsylvania: State regulators have mandated that a highly functional metering infrastructure be in place for all utility customers within 15 years. A desire to "lead the march toward installing a highly interactive smart grid."
• Massachusetts: A recent statute requires the four major utilities to launch smart grid pilot programs. It's complicated, though: Mass. needs to work with neighboring states and the operator of the New England transmission grid to get the job done.
• New Jersey: Smart grid policies put in place by former Democratic governor John Corzine stress jobs creation and increased economic activity, but it's unclear what affect current Republican governor Chris Christie will have on them.
• Ohio: Also looking to jobs and economic activity as the drivers for smart grid rollout.
• North Carolina: The biggest state beneficiary of federal smart grid grants, with $404 million. The state's three major utilities have deployments planned or in progress.
• New York: New York is tying smart grid deployment to social benefits, and has created a consortium of public, private and academic figures to help guide project developers.
• Colorado: Aggressively promoting the smart grid, through government and utilities. It's also the location of Xcel Energy's SmartGridCity, the most ambitious pilot project in the nation.
• Florida: Florida's utilities are adding smart grid tech despite no specific regulatory or legal mandate urging them to. Why? Utilities want to make their businesses more efficient.

All of the above 10 states are riding on the Smart Grid Express, but not all are equal. In the driver's seat is California, with a metering goal of 21 million. In the passenger seat is Texas, with a metering goal of 7 million.

But it's not easy being out front. Both early-adopter states have faced consumer complaints that smart meters don't measure correctly and increased their utility bills. (According to an investigation, it was both a technical problem and an educational one.)

Wondering which utility companies are getting that stimulus money, by the way? Below, a percentage breakdown for each state's stimulus pie.

California

• 42% SMUD
• 20% LADWP
• 13% SCE
• 9% SDG&E
• 6% BW&P
• 7% City of Glendale Water and Power
• 2% City of Anaheim
• 1% Modesto Irrigation District

Colorado

• 75% City of Fort Collins Utilities
• 25% Black Hills Energy - Colorado Electric

Florida

• 43% FP&L
• 43% Progress Energy Service
• 4% Lakeland Electric
• 2% City of Leesburg
• 2% City of Tallahassee
• 2% Talquin Electric
• 1% Intellon
• 0.5% City of Quincy

Massachusetts

• 62% NSTAR Electric
• 30% Town of Danvers
• 5% Marblehead Municipal Light Department
• 3% Vineyard Energy Project

New York

• 78% ConEd
• 16% New York ISO
• 5% LIPA
• 1% NYPA

New Jersey

• 64% Rockland Electric
• 27% Jersey Central Power & Light
• 9% Atlantic City Electric

North Carolina

• 50% Progress Energy Service
• 49% Duke Energy Business Service
• 1% Duke Energy Carolinas

Ohio

• 53% AEP Ohio
• 40% FirstEnergy
• 4% City of Wadsworth
• 3% City of Westerville

Pennsylvania

• 93% Wellsboro Electric
• 4% PPL
• 2% PJM Interconnection
• 1% PECO

Texas

• 70% CP Energy
• 7% Golden Spread Electric Co-op
• 7% Reliant Energy
• 6% Denton County Electric Co-op
• 3% Pecan Street Project
• 1% Oncor Electric Delivery
• 1% El Paso Electric

This post was originally published on Smartplanet.com