NIST Awards Contract to EnerNex to Advance Smart Grid Standards

August 26, 2009 // Published as a news service by IHS

EnerNex will establish and administer a "smart grid" interoperability standards panel to identify, prioritize and address new and emerging requirements for smart grid interoperability and security.

The company will also develop the initial NIST Smart Grid Interoperability Standards Framework (Release 1.0), expected to be released in September for public comment.

Release 1.0, said NIST, will identify the first set of key standards and provide a roadmap for developing new or revised standards.

It also will describe a reference model to help organize the smart grid and identify linkages among household appliances, utilities, windmills and electric vehicles.

The panel will work with expert working groups, a cyber security coordination task group, and other volunteer technical bodies established by NIST during this first phase of smart grid efforts.

The panel will consist of utilities, independent power producers, federal agencies, state regulators, equipment manufacturers, consumer groups and developers of information technology applications and devices.

Meetings are scheduled for the week of Nov. 16 in Denver.

EnerNex will also work with NIST, the private-sector and non-profit organizations to establish a testing and certification infrastructure to ensure smart grid-related software, hardware and services conform to standards.

EnerNex is expected to build a publicly accessible "interoperability knowledge base," containing information on smart grid standards, relevant activities of standards development organizations, and other types of information needed to guide standards development over the long term.

Source: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).