JUCCCE China Smart Grid Cooperative

Program Name:

JUCCCE China Smart Grid Cooperative  

Target Audience:

Central government, utilities  

Press Released:

JUCCCE launches China Smart Grid Cooperative, Nov 11, 2008

Why does Smart Grid matter?

"Smart Grid" links all energy generators, deliverers, and users of energy. 2/3 of all energy is lost from the time it is generated to the time it cools leftovers in the fridge. A connected grid allows more control over when energy is used, where it is being used, and where it is coming from, thereby reducing this tremendous energy waste in the system.

China has a unique opportunity to apply innovative efficiency measures to its electricity grid, as it is building new electricity infrastructure at an unprecedented pace. As China rapidly builds new power generation, new transmission lines, and sells new appliances to consumers, it is important to improve and enable this extended, integrated electrical grid.

Constructing a Smart Grid in China as quickly as possible is essential, to avoid unnecessary energy usage and emissions.

China's planning challenge is that the Smart Grid is a national, comprehensive concept that no single stakeholder group can achieve, singlehandedly. China’s technical challenge: technologies and pilots for Smart Grid are in early stages. Yet due to profound potential benefits, China must come together, immediately, to make key early decisions for laying out the foundation for a Smart Grid.

How can JUCCCE’s program have a big impact?

The JUCCCE China Smart Grid Cooperative’s initial goals: stimulate interest in Smart Grid planning, in China, and identify a few key Chinese leaders. Smart Grid will involve bringing in a series of international experts to China, over time. These discussions will help disparate groups begin to define Smart Grid in the context of China—as JUCCCE investigates case studies on return on investment (ROI). Smart Grid will outline a set of necessary early decisions, in China, so as not to make later implementation unnecessarily expensive.

The Smart Grid Program’s secondary goal: create a feasibility study of the financial, policy and technical requirements of a Smart Grid in China.

The Smart Grid Program’s third goal: catalyze a regional pilot for Smart Grid.

Timeframe

The JUCCCE China Smart Grid Cooperative has been ongoing since November 2007, at the request of NDRC's Investment Association Committee and US President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.

A Smart Grid Panel is planned for our upcoming JUCCCE China Energy Forum in Beijing on Nov 10-11, 2008.

Recently, JUCCCE engaged with several Chinese governmental bodies and institutions, in introducing the Smart Grid concept. These organizations include: State Electricity Regulatory Commission (SERC), China Electric Power Research Institutes (CEPRI), the Energy Research Institute (ERI) of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), and the Investment Association Committee (IAC) of the NDRC. All of these organizations have expressed wishes to continue Smart Grid dialogue. We have also met with several US and worldwide organizations who wish to participate in this program.

JUCCCE has already organized physical meetings in China with Chinese entities. Also present at these November 2007 meetings: Steve Papermaster, Energy Committee co-chair of President's Council on Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST).

In April 2008, JUCCCE arranged a series of meetings in Beijing with Commissioner Dian Grueneich and Keri Bolding of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). These meetings also included a U.S. Department of Commerce representative.

Success Metrics

• Ability to congregate high-level decision makers, across multiple Chinese agencies, to discuss Smart Grid.
• Ability to catalyze leadership within the Chinese government, to kickoff a national Smart Grid program.
• Ability to bring in a quality cross-section of international experts to China.

Further Reading

• Smart Grid-Future Grid?
• Program for Commissioner D. Grueneich
• Modern Grid Initiative
• The Role of Energy Efficiency and Smart Grid in California