Aug. 12, 2009
Media contact: Chris Gleason, Community & Media Services manager, (253) 502-8222
Tacoma Power has asked the Department of Energy for approximately $32 million to enhance and accelerate the development of its smart grid system. If awarded the funds, which would cover half of the project cost, the utility would install two-way meters at 135,000 homes and businesses – building on a 17,000 meter project already in place.
The American Reinvestment and Recovery Act designated $3.9 billion for smart grid projects across the country. Tacoma’s project meets one of the major goals of the act – job creation – and would create approximately 250 local jobs when building its system.
“Receiving funding from the Department of Energy would allow Tacoma Power to reduce the timeline for its smart grid project from seven years to two,” said Tacoma Public Utilities Director Bill Gaines. “We have already invested in a telecommunications system that serves as the backbone for smart grid, so we are well ahead of many other utilities in the nation. I hope that will give us an edge when being considered for funding.”
The smart grid system would give customers real-time energy use information, enabling them to use energy more efficiently, which could reduce their power bills. The system also would help improve reliability by providing the utility with more accurate information.
“If we had a power outage, we would know the exact location, and if it affected one home or 100 homes,” said Tacoma Power Superintendent Ted Coates. “We could isolate the outage to a smaller number of customers and respond more quickly. The reliability of our system would improve significantly.”
Tacoma Power’s request for funding aligns with the goals outlined by the Department of Energy, including:
- Reducing power system costs and peak demands
- Reducing consumer electricity costs, bills and environmental impacts
- Supporting clean energy development and reducing greenhouse gas emissions
- Providing economic opportunities for businesses and new jobs for workers
- Improving the reliability of the electric power system
The Department of Energy has said it will announce in September which organizations will move to the next review phase.
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About Tacoma Power
Tacoma Power serves 168,000 customers in Tacoma, University Place, Fircrest and portions of Fife, Lakewood, Federal Way, Steilacoom, Fort Lewis, McChord Air Force Base and other portions of Pierce County. The utility includes five divisions: Transmission and Distribution, Generation, Rates, Planning and Analysis, Power Management and Click! Network. www.tacomapower.com