Iowa municipal utilities obtain ‘smart grid’ funds

The federal government has approved $5 million for a project by Iowa's municipal utilities to implement ‘smart grid' technologies.

The Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities was among 100 private companies, utilities, manufacturers and cities to receive part of $3.4 billion federal Smart Grid Investment Grant awards. The program was established by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Smart grid technologies automate the operation of the electrical system at the generation, transmission or customer level to make it more reliable and efficient.

The Iowa project will involve the installation of 32,000 “smart thermostats” in homes and businesses, according to Bob Haug, executive director of the Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities. The utilities can use the smart thermostats to remotely lower temperatures slightly before predicted energy summer demand peaks and raise temperatures during the peaks, lower the peak energy demand. By lowering demand peaks, the project can avoid the need for 57 megawatts of energy generation capacity.

Haug said the thermostats will be installed over the next two years. The system also will include a web portal that customers will be able to use to see when their thermostats were remotely altered.

The association represents 75 municipal and other consumer-owned utilities serving over 96,000 customers, most of them in Iowa. Municipal and customer-owned utilities in Amana, Kalona, Tipton, Traer and Vinton are among 75 participating in the project.