Black Hills Power receives $5.6 million grant for Smart Grid plan
StoryDiscussionJournal staff | Posted: Wednesday, October 28, 2009 8:00 am | (2) Comments

Font Size:Default font sizeLarger font sizeBlack Hills Power of Rapid City will receive $5,592,602 and Sioux Valley Energy of Colman will receive $4,016,368 to implement Smart Grid technology across the state. Funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the projects will give the companies the ability to update and expand their innovative electricity technologies.

Black Hills Power will install 69,000 smart meters, communications infrastructure and the technology needed to operate a smart grid system for its service area. Sioux Valley Energy will install 23,000 smart meters. The meters allow for automated electric readings and additional monitoring functions, which will help manage energy consumption and prevent outages.

Smart Grid references enhanced technologies designed to improve the reliability of the electricity system, empower consumers with better information to control energy use and allow utilities to optimize generation and transmission of electricity nationally in order to reduce energy demand.

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