Obama putting $3.4bn toward a ‘smart’ power grid
On Tuesday, US President Barack Obama punted renewable energy with $3.4 billion in new support for 100 projects to modernise the nation's power grid. Touring a Florida solar energy project, he called for more use of new technologies to make power transmission systems better suited to the digital age. These include "smart" home electricity meters, automated utility substations and digital transformers and grid sensors. Obama said a modern grid would give consumers more control over electricity usage and costs, spurring growth in renewable energy sources such as wind and solar. The $3.4 billion in grants from the economic stimulus programme will be matched by some $4.7 billion in private investment. The work is expected to be done over the next one to three years, he said. While Obama’s message was on efficient and renewable energy use, the White House still used a motorcade of gas-guzzling SUVs, and several of the vehicles kept their engines running to keep the air-conditioning going for the comfort of officials. More: BusinessWeek
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