Following the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities' (DPU) recent approval, National Grid is moving forward with its proposed smart grid pilot program in Worcester, Mass.
"We are delighted that the pilot has been approved. We are very grateful to the [City of Worcester], our customers and everyone else who invested their time, energy and creativity to help design this program," says Marcy Reed, president of National Grid in Massachusetts. "We are excited to embark on the next big step of this journey, where we will bring our collective vision to life and deliver its benefits to our customers and the city."
The pilot, which will include about 15,000 participating customers and cost approximately $44 million, calls for the installation of advanced metering systems. Early installation of approximately 5,000 advanced meters is nearly complete, which National Grid says is helping to obtain baseline energy data, test communications systems and adjust the equipment before full deployment.
Under the project, the company also will test full integration of renewable resources, electric vehicle charging stations and connecting energy storage to existing renewable projects across the city.
While the pilot officially began with the DPU approval, final technology and vendor selection is currently under way. Design and communication materials will be developed in the coming months, and National Grid expects full pilot launch within the next year.
