Richmond Area Business Association

Learn what the Smart Grid will mean for you! Representatives Anne O'Brien and Jim Mccullough, and Terry MaCaig will host a presentation and community discussion on the smart grid on Thursday, November 10 at the Richmond Library on Bridge Street. The public is invited to attend this free event, which will include time for questions and discussions. The presentation will start at 7 PM.

Robert Dostis from Green Mountain Power and Elizabeth Gamache of Vermont Electric Coop will talk about upgrades that are bringing greater reliability and operational efficiencies to the electric grid. They will also describe the timeline for installing advanced meters on local homes and businesses served by Green Mountain Power, and the benefits already being realized by VEC customers, which was the first utility in Vermont to install digital meters system wide. These upgrades are providing new opportunities for customers to reduce their carbon footprint and save money on electricity.

"Smart grid" refers to the installation of digital control devices and communication technology throughout the electric grid, which continuously relays information to utilities about equipment performance, potential or existing outages, electric demand, and usage. This allows utilities to use power more efficiently and address problems quickly. The result will be an electric system that is more reliable, makes better use of existing equipment, and will more easily be able to integrate small scale renewable energy projects.

Over the next two years, about 80% of Vermont households will have advanced meters installed. The new meters and other tools will eventually allow customers to actively manage their use of energy, saving money and reducing demand during the peak periods when utilities rely on expensive,polluting fossil fuel generation sources.

Vermont's expanded smart grid development project is a result of Department of Energy funding awarded in 2009 to a statewide collaborative of Vermont electric utilities. Over the three year award period, the funding will cover half the cost of system upgrades that will lay the foundation for eventual full deployment of smart grid technology in Vermont.

For more information on the benefits of a fully operational Smart Grid, visit www.greenmountainpower.com and
http://www.cvps.com/ProgramsServices/smartpower/

For more information about this presentation, contact: Rep. Anne O'Brien
802.434.4250 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it