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NYSTEC Briefs New York IT Professionals on Smart Grid

December 10, 2009

Albany, NY – Today in Albany, NYSTEC Director Mike Walsh appeared before the New York State Forum to provide an overview of Automated Metering Infrastructure (AMI) and its implementation within New York State, as well as other Smart Grid initiatives statewide.  His talk was part of a Forum session, “Getting Smart on Smart Grid:  What IT Professionals need to know about Smart Grid and Demand Response Systems.”

Walsh described NYSTEC’s experiences providing engineering design and quality assurance on the nation’s largest AMI implementation project in New York City, as well as a high-level overview of AMI technology.  He also summarized current and planned Smart Grid projects across the state, and touched on possible technology alternatives to simultaneously satisfy the wireless communications needs of utilities and public safety agencies.

“AMI will form the heart of the nationwide Smart Grid that is just starting to be built,” said Walsh following his presentation.  “With AMI, the ultimate goal is to install a smart meter at each customer location, whether a home or a business.  Smart meters can monitor the consumption of electricity, water or natural gas.  Each meter contains a powerful chip and connects to a computer network for two-way communication.  The technology enables both the utility and the customer to monitor usage in real time.  Customers can take measures to decrease their usage and costs.  Providers can monitor distribution and detect infrastructure glitches before they result in real problems such as power outages.”

During his presentation, Walsh described several Smart Grid initiatives in New York State funded by federal stimulus dollars, including Con Edison’s $136 million effort to modernize the power grid in Orange and Rockland counties, and a $37.4 million project by the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) involving the installation of 39 phasor measurement units on high-voltage power lines to detect grid events and enable faster responses.

Regarding Smart Grid and public safety, Walsh noted, “Many experts propose that the FCC should auction off a slice of radio bandwidth to enable a network-sharing arrangement between utilities and public safety agencies.  Utilities could use this proposed private network for Smart Grid applications, while public safety would finally obtain a viable wireless solution to its interoperability problems.  The feeling is that a shared network would allow Smart Grid users to leverage secure communications assets from public safety.  Public safety could leverage economies of scale and funding sources from public-service smart grid users.  This ‘joint use’ approach would be a cost-effective utilization of critical infrastructure that each national priority individually needs for success.  It would also be practical in terms of environmental considerations.”

The New York State Forum is a network of state and local government organizations and IT leaders and professionals concerned with information management, policy and operations.  Members include professionals from all of New York’s executive agencies and statewide public authorities, the court system, the state university, both houses of the Legislature and a wide variety of local governments.