Smart Grid Framework Standards

Under the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is assigned the:

"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..." [EISA Title XIII, Section 1305].

With the wide-scale deployment of various Smart Grid elements, including smart sensors on distribution lines, smart meters in homes, and a wide-range of various renewable energy sources that are already underway, and will be accelerated in the next few years as a result of the Department of Energy (DOE) Smart Grid incentives, there is an urgency to establish defined protocols and standards for the Smart Grid. Without standards, interoperability between technologies, hardware, software, and security will be difficult if not impossible to achieve. This would result in the potential loss of sizable public and private investments, as well as possible technologies used in implementation becoming obsolete prematurely or implemented without the measures necessary to ensure security.

To address this urgency, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has developed a three-phase plan to accelerate the identification of an initial set of standards and to establish a robust framework for the sustaining development of the many additional standards that will be needed and for setting up a conformity testing and certification infrastructure. The document, NIST Framework and Roadmap for Smart Grid Interoperability Standards, Release 1.0, is the output of the first phase of the NIST plan. It describes a high-level conceptual reference model for the Smart Grid, identifies many existing standards that are applicable to the ongoing development of the Smart Grid, and outlines new or revised standards that are needed, including those required for Smart Grid cyber security.

Another critical issue facing electric utilities and regulators is the need to guarantee that technologies or solutions that are selected and installed by utility companies today will be interoperable and in compliance with future national standards. In order to preserve their investments, utilities want to ascertain that the systems they select will allow for evolution and growth as Smart Grid standards evolve.

For example, if investment in and deployment of smart metering is to continue at an aggressive pace, there is an industry need for adopted standards to accommodate any upgradeability requirements. These standards are needed to allow utilities to mitigate risks associated with "predicting the future" and to install systems that are flexible and upgradeable to comply with emerging requirements for the Smart Grid. NIST has identified the need for a meter upgradeability standard as a high priority requiring immediate attention.

NEMA accepted the challenge to lead the effort to develop such a standard on an exceptionally rapid schedule. In just under 90 days, with the help of a team of meter manufacturers and electric utilities, NEMA published the first standard written from the ground up for Smart Grid, SG-AMI 1-2009 Requirements for Smart Meter Upgradeability. This standard is used by smart meter suppliers, utility customers, and key constituents, such as regulators, to guide both development and decision making as related to smart meter upgradeability. It is available for download from NEMA's website: see link below.

Additional Resources