EDF Praises President's Announcement of Smart Grid Stimulus Funding

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact
Chris Smith, csmith@edf.org, 512.691.3451
Mark Brownstein, mbrownstein@edf.org, 917.279.4644
Miriam Horn, mhorn@edf.org, 646.485.5254

(Washington, DC - October 27, 2009) Environmental Defense Fund applauds today’s announcement by President Obama awarding $3.4 billion in stimulus grants to support modernizing the nation’s electrical grid. The funds are being matched by $4.7 billion in private funds to accelerate efforts by utilities, manufacturers, cities and their partners to build this critical platform for innovation.

Because stand-alone solutions do not achieve the necessary transformation, the smart grid will supply the brains and nervous system needed to devise an overall solution integrating advances in information and communication technologies with all the other pieces – from the batteries in plug-in hybrid cars to smart appliances, rooftop solar and water conservation.

“This is a great first step toward transforming our whole energy system to be more secure and reliable, and to deliver cleaner and cheaper electricity to American homes and businesses,” said Mark Brownstein, an energy director at EDF. “Done right, a new energy grid can enable broad deployment of renewable energy sources like solar and wind and empower consumers to make more informed decisions about their real-time energy use, paving the way for energy efficiency and off-peak power cost savings.

“It will also provide the lowest cost path to achieving the carbon targets now being worked out on the Hill, while reducing emissions of other pollutants and minimizing water use and land and wildlife impacts,” Brownstein added.

EDF is a partner in the Pecan Street Project in Austin Texas, one of the nation’s first comprehensive smart grid deployments. This pioneering project brings together cross-disciplinary groups from academia, business, local governments and nonprofits to collaborate on developing necessary regulatory reforms, a new utility business model, a proving ground for innovative new technologies, consumer education and workforce development programs.

“Our involvement in the Pecan Street Project will help us learn what works and what doesn’t work and develop a smart grid model that can be replicated throughout the nation,” said Miriam Horn, co-author of Earth: The Sequel, and an EDF team leader on the Pecan Street Project. “A cap on carbon will ensure that innovation takes us in the right direction and solves our global warming crisis. The President’s announcement today will accelerate that innovation, while creating tens of thousands of jobs to build this cleaner, more secure national infrastructure.”