April 7, 2009 (FinancialWire) — On the heels of recent smart grid developments by Google (NASDAQ: GOOG), Esco Technologies (NYSE: ESE), Echelon Corporation (NASDAQ: ELON) and others, steps toward making the smart grid a reality continue as Oklahoma Gas and Electric (NYSE: OGE) and The Structure Group announce projects in Norman, Oklahoma.
Previous, recent smart grid developments include:
Comverge, Inc. (NASDAQ: COMV) demand-response and energy management technology that allows grid operators to better manage peak and baseload capacity;
Itron, Inc. (NASDAQ: ITRI) providing metering, data and software for automated meter reading, as well as Itron's recently announced deal to use communications technology by Digi International (NASDAQ: DGII) in an advanced metering network;
EnerNOC Inc. (NASDAQ: ENOC) technology that allows utilities to remotely manage and reduce electricity consumption across their networks;
Ambient Corporation (OTC: ABTG) and Verizon's joint marketing campaign to deploy a host of smart grid projects around the country;
Echelon Corporation developing devices that put the "smarts" into everything from air conditioners to light switches, enabling them to communicate with each other and with the grid operator;
Esco Technologies subsidiary Aclara RF Systems providing a secure radio transmission network for smart meters to communicate with a utility's head office; and
Google offering a new iGoogle gadget called PowerMeter.
Smart grid systems reduce wasted energy. It is a "power system fact" that, while today's electricity system is 99.97 percent reliable, it allows for power outages and interruptions that cost Americans at least $150 billion each year, which is about $500 for every man, woman and child.
Recently, smart grid technologies received a boost from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act which contains approximately $20 billion for electricity infrastructure projects that directly or indirectly relate to the deployment of a U.S. Smart Grid.
Sources: "Smart Grid: An Introduction" (http://www.oe.energy.gov/DocumentsandMedia/DOE_SG_Book_Single_Pages(1).pdf), Oklahoma Gas and Electric (http://www.oge.com/investor-relations/Pages/InvestorRelations.aspx) via SME Capital Markets' Green Market Intelligence Unit (http://www.greenmarketintelligence.com).
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