Clark University

1. The Smart Grid Vision & Sustainability
Jennie C. Stephens, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Environmental Science and Policy
Department of International Development, Community and Environment
A Smarter Grid and a Wiser Community
DCU Center, Worcester, MA
April 24, 2013
Transmission lines
Beijing China
Worcester Green Jobs Coalition
Hull Wind Turbine

2. Mechanisms for University’s to Contribute
to Sustainability
Teaching
Transdisciplinary courses/degrees teaching skills of integration, synthesis, and
systems thinking – how to cope with complex interconnections, service learning
Research
Faculty and students conduct research that contributes to confronting
sustainability challenges
Campus as a Model for Society
Campus Operations, demonstrating role, the campus as a microcosm of society
Service within the Community
Unique anchor /intermediary organizations
Ability for long-term thinking, Convening Role
Stephens, JC, et al. (2008). Higher Education as a Change Agent for
Sustainability in Different Cultures and Contexts. International
Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education 9 (3): 317-338

3. Increasing
CO2 concentrations
World Energy 1850-2000
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
500
1850 1875 1900 1925 1950 1975 2000
Year
EJ/year
Gas
Oil
Coal
Nuclear
Hydro +
Biomass
Increasing
global energy
demand
Climate Change Primarily an Energy Problem:
Reliance on fossil-fuel based energy systems
AIM NASA 2012
Holdren, 2006

4. Why are energy systems difficult to change?
Social dynamics of energy technology innovation
Socio-technical system change
With graduate students at
Hull Wind Turbine
Wind
Marris, 2008
Smart GridGeothermal
Carbon Neutral, 2013

5. Health/safety
Cultural Political
Technical Economic
Environmental
Energy
Technology
Deployment
SPEED (Socio-Political Evaluation of Energy Deployment)
A framework to assess the complexity of perspectives influencing energy
technology deployment: How is discourse of technologies framed?
Environmental Communication Research
How are emerging energy technologies talked about? What frames?
What factors influence perceptions of emerging energy technologies?

6. Generation
Transmission
Distribution
Consumptionblackhillsenergy.com
Storage
SMART GRID: A Shared Vision of Electricity System Change
Increasingly used term - incorporates multiple technologies
Information Communication Technology (ICT),
Renewables, Energy Storage Technology, Sensors
Advanced Metering Infrastructure – Smart Meters
and more……
Smart Grid
A shared vision of change,
but different priorities in
- What technologies?
- How much change ?

7. Source: FERC, 2012
Smart Grid Research:
How does social and political context for Smart Grid compare regionally?
What are different priorities and can they be aligned?
METHODS
Focus Groups
Interviews
Media Analysis
Policy Analysis
Financial Support: NSF Science, Technology & Society Program NSF-SES1127697
NSF RAPID Grant Science, Technology & Society (NSF-SES 1316442)

8. How is “Smart Grid” presented in the media?
NumberofNewspaperArticles
A
2007
2009
2012
1998
2002
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

9. Different Smart Grid Technologies
Technologies
Examples
Transmission
and
Distribu/on
power
lines,
transformers,
voltage,
AC,
DC,
relays,
capacitors
Smart
meter
Smart
meter,
advanced
meter
Energy
Storage
ba>eries,
fly
wheels
Sensors,
informa/on
and
communica/on
technologies
sensors,
soAware,
hardware,
SCADA
Renewable
genera/on
wind,
solar,
photovoltaic
Electric
vehicles
Prius,
Tessla
Consumer
load
appliances
programmable
dishwashers,
air-­‐condi/oning
Consumer
interface
tools
websites,
apps,
cellphone

10. How do different actors perceive and frame Smart Grid?
Extensive Focus Group Data Collection
Each focus group 5-8 individuals from the same organization, 32 completed
Shaded boxes represent focus groups planned – not yet occurred
Minnesota
MISO
Texas
ERCOT
Massachusetts
ISO-­‐NE
Illinois
MISO
Vermont
ISO-­‐NE
New
York
NYISO
Large
Utilities Xcel Oncor National
Grid COM-­‐ED
Green
Mountain
Power
New
York
Power
Authority
Municipal/Coop
Utilities
Great
River
Energy
Austin
Energy,
College
Station
Utilities
Shrewsbury
Electric
&
Cable
Operations
Energy
Services
Division
U
of
IL
Burlington
Electric
Long
Island
Light
&
Power
Regional
Transmission
Organizations MISO ERCOT ISO-­‐NE
MISO ISO-­‐NE
New
York
ISO
State
Regulators
MN
State
Energy
Office
TX
Public
Utility
Commission
MA
Dept.
of
Public
Utilities
IL
Dept.
of
Commerce
&
Economic
Opportunity
VT
Department
of
Public
Service New
York
State
Consumer/Nonprofit
Great
Plains
Institute
Mass
Energy
Consumer
Alliance
Citizen's
Utility
Board,
Perfect
Power
Institute
VT
Public
Interest
Research
Group
Techies/Academics UM
EE
Students
TAMU
engineer
students
Worcester
Polytechnic
Institute
Illinois
Institute
of
Technology
U.
of
VT SUNY
Environmental
group
Theodore
Roosevelt
Conservation
Partnership
Conservation
Law
Foundation
Illinois
Sierra
Club
VT
Energy
Investment
Corporation
Environmental
Defense

11. Key Actors Priorities & Perspectives
Consumers Reliability, low-rates,
limited influence
Government (National, State, Local) Jurisdictionally complex regulation
Private Sector Accountable to shareholders
Electric Utilities Maintaining reliable service,
responding to consumers
Technology companies Innovative & entrepreneurial
Environmental advocates Low carbon shift & renewable energy
Energy system researchers Technologically optimistic
Key Actors’ Smart Grid Priorities Linked to Institutional Structures

12. Tension: Centralization vs. Decentralization
Centralized – Supergrid with Long
Distance Transmission
More centralized control,
advantages of scale
Desertec
Desertec - Eumena 2012
Decentralized Local Energy
Systems
More local control, more
community connections,
distributed power
Smart Grid Enterprise 2013

13. Different Perspectives on How Much
Change in the Smart Grid Vision
Radical
Change
Incremental
Change
Technological nirvana
potential to solve all
energy related problems
Upgrades, modernization
of current system
Improving status quo

14. Superstorm Sandy – Oct (28-30) 2012
NASA GEOS-13 View, October 28, 2012 Cover page. Bloomberg Businessweek.
November 1, 2012.
$65.6 billion – estimated cost of devastation and disruption
• Highlighted vulnerability of energy systems – our increasing reliance on electricity for basic
needs: communication, health, food, etc.
• Reintroduced climate change into political discourse of the 2012 Presidential election –
previously conspicuously absent
• New awareness about energy infrastructure investments and climate change preparedness
Shift to include climate adaptation as well as climate mitigation

15. Smart Grid and Sustainability
• Smart Grid an umbrella term – shared vision
▫ Development influenced by different socio-political
contexts
▫ Multiple technologies included in the vision
• Key actors motivated by different priorities
▫ Decentralization vs. centralization
▫ Incremental vs radical change
• Smart Grid has climate adaptation potential as well
as climate mitigation potential
▫ Superstorm Sandy highlighted our vulnerability and
dependence on electricity systems

16. Acknowledgements
Tarla Rai Peterson
Texas A&M
Elizabeth Wilson
U of Minnesota
Thanks to many who have
contributed and participated
Financial Support
NSF Grant Science, Technology and Society
Program (NSF-SES 1127697)
NSF RAPID Grant Science, Technology & Society
(NSF-SES 1316442)
Logistical Support
Pamela Dunkle & Marsh Institute
Clark University
Research Collaborators
Research Team
Ria Langheim
ES&P MS ‘13
Xiao Chen
ES&P MS ‘13
Ryan Collins
ES&P MS/MBA ‘15
Will Maxwell
Econ/ES&P BA ‘15
Melissa Skubel
ES&P BA’13
ES&P MS ‘14
Sophia Ran Wang
ES&P MS ‘13
James Meadowcroft
Carleton
Andrea Parker
SUNY-ESF
Lauren Zeimmer
ES BA’13
ES&P MS ‘14

17. Landscape for work in sustainability is changing
Conventional rules, norms
and relationships among
actors may no longer be
practical.
Working together among
key actors essential –
trying to understand each
other’s priorities Photo courtesy of Didac Ferrar
Publications available upon request
Email: jstephens@clarku.edu
Website: http://wordpress.clarku.edu/
jstephens/