California, USA Releases Smart Grid Annual Report

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) recently released its second annual report summarizing the state of smart grid implementation in California. The report mainly involves the following aspects:

• Privacy and Security of Electricity Data • Consumer Control • Utilities' Smart Grid Deployment Plans • Smart Grid National Deployment • Federal Stimulus Fund Support for Smart Grid Projects • California Public Utilities Commission's 2012 Program Report China proposed that although the power grid modernization has made substantial progress, the key steps of the smart grid have not yet been implemented, and smart grid construction still faces some major challenges in the future, such as the widespread adoption of home area networks to support more and more electric vehicles and roofs. Photovoltaic systems are connected to the grid, a large number of renewable energy generation interconnections, etc., all of which are implemented to ensure that the current reliability requirements are met and that the growing network security challenges are addressed. The California Public Utilities Commission put forward some measures to deal with these issues in its 2012 plan.

It is expected that by mid-2012, the California Public Utilities Commission will adopt the smart grid deployment plan of SDG&E, Southern California Edison, and Pacific Coal Power. Currently, the committee's staff is conducting a detailed review of the smart grid deployment plans of the private power companies (IOUs) and has provided preliminary opinions to the action participants on the advantages and disadvantages of the plans themselves. In the next step, the committee will hold a series of seminars in the first quarter, focusing on the smart grid users, the smart grid market and smart utilities, and make the final decision on June 1, 2012.

The California Public Utilities Commission will also pass another decision that requires utility companies to report on their smart grid implementation progress and their investment returns. At the same time, the committee is considering whether it needs to set some goals or standards to measure the progress of grid modernization and assess the use of smart grid funds. In addition, the committee may also set up special working groups to set targets or standards on specific topics such as cyber security and the environment. For example, a set of goals or criteria will be set up by the cybersecurity working group for the committee to monitor the effectiveness of utility company cybersecurity practices, thereby providing a potential basis for the committee's future cybersecurity promotion initiatives. The Environment Working Group may develop targets or criteria for measuring the environmental benefits associated with smart grid investments. If adopted, these working groups will participate in the annual review process.

According to another report, the California Public Utilities Commissioner will focus on satisfying the network security requirements of the distribution network this year, and further clarify the direction for the utility companies to formulate cyber security policies. The committee will also continue to cooperate with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the United States Department of Energy (DOE) and the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to jointly safeguard cyber security across the country and ensure coordination between California and federal operations. .