About Renewable Energy and the Smart Grid
More than 850 utilities across the United States now offer green power programs according to an analysis conducted by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Green power sales in 2008 increased by about 20 percent over 2007, and they represent more than 5 percent of total electricity sales for some of the most popular programs.
Learn more about EPCE's Renewable Energy and Smart Grid education programs
Renewable Energy
Renewable energy refers to energy generated by using resources that are naturally replenished. There are different ways electricity is generated from renewable sources. The motion of wind or water can be used to drive generators and create electrical power. Materials that are naturally replenished can be burned as fuel also driving a generator. Additionally, the resource’s energy could be directly converted into electricity like with photovoltaics. Some of the common renewable energy sources include:
- Wind Power
- Solar Power
- Hydroelectric
- Geothermal
- Biomass
- Tidal Power
View the Guide on Renewable Energy from the Edison Electric Institute’s (EEI) for a more detailed overview.
Smart Grid and Distribution Technologies
Smart Grid refers to modernizing the national electrical transmission and distribution system. The Smart Grid initiative has several goals including increasing reliability of the delivery of electricity, allowing more generation sources to supply electricity from more diverse locations, and allowing for improved monitoring and management of the use of electricity. Some aspects that could be considered part of the Smart Grid initiative include:
- Smart Meters
- Substation Automation
- Load Balancing
- Demand Response
- Transmission Planning
- Co-Gen and Distributed Generation
View Transforming the Grid, a publication from EEI’s magazine - Electric Perspectives.
Green Jobs
The electric power industry has green jobs in positions from entry level to highly technical and everything in between. With the increased focus on green energy, the smart grid, and energy efficiency, the utility companies are continuing to grow their green programs leading to an surge of opportunities.
EPCE’s membership is a group of industry representatives from across the country. These energy providers offer alternate energy, renewables, green energy, and energy efficiency programs.