Panel: Broadband Essential To Modernizing The Nation?s Energy Grid

Broadband is an essential part of a 21st century energy grid, experts told the monthly Broadband Breakfast Washington discussion.
 
The "smart Grid increasingly needs broadband,” Nick Sinai, Senior Advisor to the White House’s Chief Technology Officer told the audience. “The Recovery Act is helping to fund 1000 sensors across the transmission grid to help prevent a blackout like one in 2003,” and “all advanced meters and endpoints in homes are now being backhauled by broadband circuits.”

Utilities need to change from monthly meter readings to constant monitoring of fuel and electricity. “Utilities need to open up information so that you can have innovation from companies like AT&T and Opower,” said Paul Hamilton, Vice President of Government Affairs, Schneider Electric.

In the future the energy and broadband grid may be unified not only to help control energy costs, but to include a range of functions to improve daily life. Jeffrey Dygert, Executive Director of Public Policy at AT&T said that the company “is working on a Digital Life Project that would create a unified digital platform in the home that will incorporate home security, monitoring, telehealth, energy efficiency, smart grid as well as video IPTV and DSL services that can all be accessed through a single device.”
 
CWA in partnership with Speed Matters partners Sierra Club and the Blue Green Alliance have joined together to promote policies that connect high-speed Internet networks with energy conservation and green jobs.

November Broadband Breakfast discussion online (Broadband Breakfast website)

Networking the Green Economy (CWA & partners report)