Federal Task Force Gives Nod to Co-op Smart Grid Work

A recent task force report commissioned by the White House outlines policy changes that would promote economic development in rural America, while noting the importance of e-connectivity and electric cooperative efforts to facilitate it. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue unveiled the report in January at the American Farm Bureau’s annual convention in Nashville, Tennessee.

The report sees robust and reliable e-connectivity is a critical ingredient for rural prosperity, including the deployment of smart grid technology throughout rural power systems.

“Rural electric cooperatives have begun deploying fiber optic networks throughout their service areas to meet the current, growing and future demand for smart grid services, such as demand-side management, distributed generation and renewable integration, and smart home technologies, as well as increased grid security,” the task force report said. “The ability to dynamically manage energy use is critical to ensuring network reliability, enhancing system-wide efficiency and keeping electric rates affordable for rural residents and businesses. The high-speed networks, connecting electric system infrastructure and even direct connections to customer locations, can also provide a platform and catalyst for fiber to rural homes.”

As of 2014, 39 percent of the rural population lacked access to broadband at speeds necessary for advanced telecommunications and data transfer capability, according to the report.

Recommendations presented to President Trump include:

• Establish executive leadership to expand e-connectivity across rural America;
• Assess the state of rural e-connectivity;
• Reduce regulatory barriers to infrastructure deployment;
• Assess the efficacy of current programs; and
• Incentivize private capital investment.

“I appreciate the president starting this important conversation, and I commend Secretary Perdue for his leadership of the task force,” said Jim Matheson, CEO of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. “America’s electric cooperatives look forward to continuing the conversation and working together on technology and funding solutions that will enrich the lives of rural American families and businesses.”