14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has pledged support to the development of a US-wide smart electric power grid, a project fostered by the Obama administration. Anoop Gupta, Corporate Vice President, Technology Policy and Strategy, attended a meeting at the White House involving industry leaders and technology companies, on May 18, 2009, and revealed to U.S. Energy Secretary Stephen Chu and Commerce Secretary Gary Locke Microsoft's vision for building a secure, reliable and smart power grid.
Of course, as many other solutions deployed by the Redmond-based company, the Smart Grid would also be dependent on software. At the same time, emphasis was placed on common standards and the need to drive interoperability in order to for appliances to integrate into the grid the same way that “Plug and Play” devices can connect to Windows PCs.
“At Microsoft, we believe the energy grid becomes 'smart' by injecting software into the various control points in the grid, so that people and businesses have ready access to timely, user-friendly information that can help them make smart choices about their energy use,” Gupta noted. “We also envision a world where thousands of smart appliances can seamlessly plug into homes thanks to common standards and interoperability frameworks, just as the “plug and play” model allows thousands of devices to seamlessly plug into PCs today.”
Gupta was little shy about criticizing the current system in place, calling the existing energy industry standards “patchwork.” In this regard, he welcomed the urgency imposed by the Obama administration when it comes down to building the Smart Grid and develop open standards. Still, the need for an interoperability framework designed to link old and upcoming standards was also underlined.
“Normal standards-setting processes can take several years to create a well conceived specification, so we fully support the National Institutes of Standards and Technology effort to develop Smart Grid standards on an accelerated timetable. Through our own work, and by engaging our utility customers as well as our extensive partner community, we hope to help expedite creation of the interoperability standards that the Smart Grid will be built upon,” Gupta said.