Support for the smart grid in the United States became federal policy with passage of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007.
[1] The law set out $100 million in funding per fiscal year from 2008 to 2012, established a matching program to states, utilities and consumers to build smart grid capabilities, and created a Grid Modernization Commission to assess the benefits of demand response and to recommend needed protocol standards.
The meeting was to bring together industry and government leaders to begin a critical discussion about developing industry-wide standards for smart grid technologies.
[5] President Barack Obama announced the largest single electric grid modernization investment in U.S. history on Oct. 27, 2009, with DOE tapping $3.4 billion in American Reinvestment and Recovery Act funds for 100 projects.
Utilities will install nearly 700 automated substations, which will make it possible for power companies to respond faster and more effectively to restore service when bad weather knocks down power lines or causes electricity disruptions.