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The smart grid industry has had its ups and downs already: advances in smart meters followed closely by rising concerns over the security: innovative dynamic pricing rules accompanied by unexpected consumer backlash. Two recent developments, however, have been particularly startling.
If it's to be a boon rather than blight, the flood of data generated in the smart grid will need to be handled in standardized frameworks, providing not only for interoperability but for ongoing evaluation of possible conflicts between different component systems. Done right, the results will be more effective maintenance, higher reliability, better options for consumers, and ultimately a higher national good.
While smart grid systems hold the promise of an electric grid with increased reliability and efficiency, they also increase the risk to the control systems from cyber attacks. Mitigating the risks from such attacks requires substantial changes to design and development processes so that security is built in from the ground up rather than addressed in a limited way as an afterthought.
Digital oilfield initiatives undertaken in the last decade have required oil and gas companies to confront a number of issues and challenges. Drivers of value and approaches to solutions are fundamentally similar to those in the smart grid.
A monthly publication, the IEEE Smart Grid Newsletter features practical and timely technical information and forward-looking commentary on smart grid developments and deployments around the world. Designed to foster greater understanding and collaboration between diverse stakeholders, the newsletter brings together experts, thought-leaders, and decision-makers to exchange information and discuss issues affecting the evolution of the smart grid.
Peter Fox-Penner is a consulting executive and internationally recognized authority on energy and electric power industry issues. Read more
Jeff Katz is the Chief Technology Officer of the Energy and Utilities industry at IBM and a member of the IBM Academy of Technology. Read more
Himanshu Khurana is the senior technical manager for the Integrated Security Technologies section at Honeywell Automation ... Read more
Amol Bakshi is a Solution Architect in the Chevron Energy Technology Company, and a consultant to Chevron’s oilfield ... Read more
Viktor K. Prasanna is Charles Lee Powell Chair in Engineering in the Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical Engineering ... Read more
