The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is requesting public comment on a draft report* that identifies issues and proposes priorities for developing interoperability standards for a "smart" electric power grid.
In a Federal Register notice** published on June 30, NIST formally announced the availability the nearly 300-page report, prepared, under contract, by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI).*
Under the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007, NIST has "primary responsibility to coordinate development of a framework that includes protocols and model standards for information management to achieve interoperability of smart grid devices and systems ..." NIST is working closely with the Department of Energy, the lead agency in the federal Smart Grid effort.
NIST will use the EPRI report in drafting the NIST Smart Grid Interoperability Standards Framework. The NIST document will describe a high-level architecture, identify an initial set of key standards, and provide a roadmap for developing new or revised standards needed to realize the Smart Grid. The first release of NIST-prepared framework is planned to be available in September.
Comments should reference the Federal Register notice and must be received on or before July 30, 2009. Written comments may be sent to: George Arnold, 100 Bureau Drive, Stop 8100, NIST, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8100. Electronic comments may be sent to: smartgridcomments [at] nist.gov (smartgridcomments[at]nist[dot]gov)
* Report to NIST on the Smart Grid Interoperability Standards Roadmap (Contract No. SB1341-09-CN-0031—Deliverable 7) Prepared by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), June 17, 2009. Available at: www.nist.gov/smartgrid/
** Request for Comments on "Report to NIST on the Smart Grid Interoperability Standards Roadmap" Federal Register, June 30, 2009, Volume 74, Number 124, p 31254, Docket Number: 0906181063-91064-01.