Essay on smart grid

In recent years, the US has come to realize the weaknesses in the US power supply. The power infrastructure in the country is very old; and because of the increase in power usage within the US, the power grid is becoming weaker and more prone to security issues. Because of the uncertainty in the power system, some major US companies have moved their data systems to other countries in order to better protect themselves by using forms of renewable energy (Rhodes 2013). The US

Accordingly, this document has been developed to provide information regarding DTL Power and the measures that have been developed and implemented to safeguard its information and information systems from a cyber threat. This document is broken down into several sections that will provide an analysis of DTL Power and the energy sector; as well as the effectiveness of cybersecurity technology/policies in the energy sector, the team’s cyber strategy, and budget.

The electrical power grid is a network of electrical transmission lines connecting a multiplicity of generating stations to loads over a wide area. The power sent across the network of power lines are used to power everything from homes to automobiles. This is a very challenging process. The most challenging aspect of the operation is that electricity must be generated at the same moment as it used due to the current inability to store it effectively.

Our society today is ever more dependent upon electricity in all aspects of life. Keeping the power infrastructure throughout the United States secure and functioning properly should be considered a high priority for both private sector and government. Lacking properly functioning power caused by an outage has widespread impact not just on common conveniences being unavailable but also on critical areas such as emergency services, transportation, water distribution, communication and food production and storage.

The last major step in connecting your home to the grid is the signing of an interconnection agreement with the utility

The DOE was established to organize disjointed regulatory processes and create a national energy plan (Kuder et al., 2010). One of the main functions of the DOE is to monitor and report on the security of the smart grid. The primary objective of the reports are to provide data that may be

Laurel couldn’t remember the last time she had been on a supply run or even outside the gates of Witherbury. Since coming to Witherbury she spent most of her time getting the power grid up and running, along with the small water treatment center in the town. Those where her two main priorities and ones she worked day and night on. She also had to train two people in how to maintain it is something where ever to happen to her when she went out on runs. When she was satisfied that she could leave the two in charge, she jumped at the chance to get out of the town. She loved the town but being stuck in one place for to long was starting to driver her a tad batty.

Energy deregulation has been adopted by many states over the past several years as a way to allow for multiple energy providers to compete for customers based on price and a higher level of customer service, break the utility monopoly into separate companies or business unit that separate the "monopoly

So, the above issues can be applied to distributed power systems similarly, and the recent research focuses are summarized as follows:

When we flip a light switch, or plug our laptop or cell phone charger into the wall, we expect that electricity will flow to illuminate the room or to power up the device at the other end of the cord. But what if the power companies weren’t able to generate enough electricity to make these actions possible? As the United States’ population increases and continues to undergo economic growth, this demand for energy will only continue to grow. The International Energy Agency (IEA) believes that “the world’s energy needs could be 50% higher in 2030 than they are today” [1]. And while Americans only make up about 5% of the world’s population, we consume more than 20% of the world’s energy supply [2].

For the purpose of this discussion, the specifics of the electrical energy system in the United States are not important, rather an introduction to the basic elements of the system, who they serve, how they relate the larger whole and how they are regulated will suffice. On a most basic level the electrical grid, or system, in the United States is comprised of three basic components; the generation of electrical energy, transmission of this energy, and the distribution of this energy to end consumers.

The core of this framework has five basic functions as it relates to cybersecurity: identify, protect, detect, respond, and recover (Framework for Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity). With regard to required compliance versus voluntary security, compliance with regulations does not ensure security. The BES consists of both generation and transmission assets and devices, but does not include system distribution. There are also potential risks associated with the technologies and operations of the distribution system though, so the distribution system must be included in the cybersecurity discussion. One such distribution security risk involves the increasing popularity of smart meters and the fact that there are no cybersecurity regulations associated with them. Of all the BES components, cyberattacks on transmission assets and devices pose the greatest risk to public safety due to a greater potential impact than attacks on other types of BES components. For example, the knockout of a transmission substation that is only the connection between multiple power lines, would have a higher

National Grid is an international electricity and natural gas company based in the UK and Northeastern US. It connects customers to energy consumers through its networks and works to create new, sustainable energy solutions for the future.

According to the case study written by Jurek, Bras, Guldberg, D’Arcy, Oh, and Biller, energy costs were steadily rising and were predicted to continue this trend going into the future. At the same time, utility companies were beginning to implement Smart Grid technologies to increase the efficiency of energy distribution. One resulting program to emerge from

The use of IoT has already impacted the way cities operate. The term smart cities, is used to describe a city that possesses an IoT oriented infrastructure. “In a smart city, the digital technologies translate into better public services for inhabitants and better use of resources while reducing environmental impacts”. [3] For a smart city to be feasible, IoT must provide intelligence, interconnection, and instrumentation. Wi-Fi-enabled smart devices and low-cost sensors are components of the smart city and allow devices a way to communicate with the public via the internet. These devices collect real-time data, which not only improves the lives of residents, but transforms several sectors of public service as well. Transportation has been revolutionized by smart traffic management systems which gather data from an array of magnetic road sensors and hundreds of cameras. The result is less delay at major stop lights and increased travel speeds, because enabled drivers can see which lights are busy and monitor these areas for other vehicles and pedestrians. To lower traffic and driver search times for parking spots, parking sensors that detect parking-spaces for drivers are installed in major cities. Street lights use a method of energy saving known as adaptive lighting which enables them to determine their brightness setting, appropriate for a given situation. The smart city solution to conserving energy is through smart girds. A smart grid serves several energy management