Research Fellow Doran to Study Smart Grids

Colorado Law’s http://cees.colorado.edu/">Center for Energy and Environmental Security (CEES) Senior Research Fellow Kevin Doran received a grant to study and make recommendations on developing a smart grid for Colorado.

Smart grids combine information technology with traditional grid infrastructure in order to increase connectivity, automation, and coordination between electricity suppliers and consumers in an effort to reduce energy waste.

“Smart grid represents a major technological shift,” says Doran. “But like most technological advances, it presents both opportunities and challenges. This report will help ensure the State is forward-looking with respect to both the pitfalls and rewards of Smart Grid deployment.”

Doran’s paper, which will be completed and sent to Colorado http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/GovRitter/GOVR/1177024890365"; target="_blank">Governor Bill Ritter by June 2010, will look at issues such as consumer privacy, workforce development, energy efficiency, rate recovery, and retail pricing structures. The paper will help the state of Colorado proactively address the key issues and concerns with Smart Grid development.

http://dirwww.colorado.edu/whitepages/ldapdrill.xml?cnfull=100054939">P… Frank Barnes from http://www.colorado.edu/">CU-Boulder;’s http://ecee.colorado.edu/">Department of Electrical, Computer, and Energy Engineering is co-researching the paper with Doran.

Additional research assistance comes from CU-Boulder faculty in http://leeds.colorado.edu/">Leeds School of Business, http://sobek.colorado.edu/SOC/Undergrad/ugradprog.html">Department of Sociology, http://www.colorado.edu/catalog/catalog09-10/engineering/telecommunicat… Program, and http://www.cs.colorado.edu/">Computer Science Program will be involved in developing the report.