Sen. Cantwell Announces $15 Million for Snohomish PUD Smart Grid Investments

Funding Represents Federal Investment Championed by Cantwell to Make the Nation's Electricity Grid Smarter, Stronger, More Efficient, and Reliable

October 27,2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) announced that Snohomish Public Utility District (PUD) will receive a federal investment of $15,825,817 to implement smart grid technologies that will create jobs and lead to lower electricity bills for consumers.

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The funding will be used to install a smart grid framework, including a digital telecommunications network, substation automation and a robust distribution system infrastructure. This will enable the implementation of future smart grid technologies, including smart meters that will provide real-time energy use information to customers.

For years, Cantwell has lead efforts to invest in technologies that will improve the nation’s electricity grid and she pushed to include this funding in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Smart grid is a broad range of technologies, both hardware and software, which when linked together are able to communicate to optimize how electricity is generated, transmitted, distributed, and used.

“The nation’s electricity grid is starting to show its age and is straining to meet an ever-increasing demand,” said Cantwell. “This funding represents a real commitment by the federal government to infuse intelligence into our electricity grid to make it more efficient and reliable and empower homeowners and businesses to reduce electricity costs and create high-paying, long-term jobs.”

The funding for Snohomish PUD is part of $3.4 billion in grant awards included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Snohomish PUD will match this funding to help create jobs and provide Washington state consumers with a stronger, more reliable grid that will reduce their overall energy costs.

"This Smart Grid Technology investment award will help Snohomish PUD lay the foundation for a modernized grid system that will enable greater efficiencies and the integration of a diversified portfolio of clean new renewable energy sources,” said Snohomish PUD General Manager, Steve Klein. “Senator Cantwell has been at the forefront of this effort that not only puts us on the best path for the future but will also puts jobs on the street as we begin construction on this important infrastructure."

Cantwell authored the groundbreaking Smart Grid title of the 2007 Energy Bill. This established a smart grid research, development, and demonstration program at the Department of Energy; required the development of an interoperability framework; established a federal matching grant program; created a Smart Grid Advisory Committee to advise the federal government on the deployment of smart grid technologies; initiated a Smart Grid Task Force to coordinate the federal government’s smart grid policies; and encouraged state utility regulatory commissions to allow for rate recovery for smart grid investments.

Without Cantwell’s smart grid title, funding for the grants announced today may not have been possible.

Source: Senator Maria Cantwell