Collaborative Research: Smart Grid: An Analysis of How Socio-Political Contexts Shape Energy Technology Development and Policy

智能电网一词代表了一套复杂的技术，具有提高效率和降低电力生产、储存、传输、分配和使用成本的潜力。纳米技术和新型纳米材料的进步将在整个智能电网系统中发挥关键作用，改变电力传输、可靠性、弹性和能量存储，并以新的方式塑造电力使用和需求管理。尽管智能电网系统对发展可持续的美国能源系统至关重要，但在这些系统是什么以及它们如何发展的愿景上，存在明显的差异。通过探索影响智能电网开发和实施的价值和背景，该项目有助于加快我们老化电力系统的转型，以提高未来的能源安全，减少气候变化的威胁，并为可持续发展做出贡献。这项研究由CISE理事会、SBE纳米计划和STS计划资助，主要由四个问题指导：(1)围绕智能电网的政治和政策辩论的参数是什么？(2)不同地区的利益相关者如何表达他们对智能电网发展和部署的看法？(3)智能电网技术的主要部署挑战是什么？(4)科学、技术与社会、社会技术转型和能源技术部署的理论如何被提炼和扩展，以更有效地整合新兴能源技术系统的经验成分？为了回答这些研究问题，调查人员将分析北美三个电力传输系统中的智能电网：中西部独立系统运营商（MISO），新英格兰独立系统运营商（ISO-New England）和德克萨斯州电力可靠性委员会（ERCOT）；MISO和iso -新英格兰都包括加拿大的互连。主要研究人员将进行政策审查和分析、焦点小组、访谈和媒体分析，以检查智能电网开发和使用的价值，以及实施的障碍。该项目为纳米材料和科学创新的社会科学研究做出了贡献。除了加深对国家、地区和州一级对智能电网技术部署的影响的理解外，研究人员的研究结果将使能源专业人员、州和地区规划者、政策分析师、非营利组织和企业能够制定更有效的策略，使公众参与智能电网技术设计、技术实施和政策形成。

The term Smart Grid represents a complex set of technologies with potential to enhance the efficiency and reduce costs of electricity production, storage, transmission, distribution and use. Advances in nanotechnologies and new nanomaterials will play crucial roles throughout Smart Grid systems, changing electricity transmission, reliability, resilience, and energy storage, and shaping electricity use and demand management in novel ways. Although Smart Grid systems are critical to developing a sustainable U.S. energy system, significant variation is apparent in visions of what these systems are and how they are developing. By exploring the values and contexts that shape Smart Grid development and implementation, this project contributes to ongoing efforts to accelerate the transition of our aging electricity system to increase future energy security, reduce the threats of climate change, and contribute to sustainable development. This research, funded by the CISE directorate, the SBE Nano Initiative, and the STS program, is guided by four questions: (1) What are the parameters of the political and policy debates surrounding Smart Grid? (2) How do stakeholders in different regions articulate their visions of Smart Grid development and deployment? (3) What are the major deployment challenges for Smart Grid technologies? (4) How can theory on science, technology and society, socio-technical transitions, and energy technology deployment be refined and expanded to more effectively integrate empirical components of emerging energy technology systems? To answer these research questions, the investigators will analyze Smart Grids in three electricity transmission systems of North America: the Midwest Independent System Operator (MISO), the New England Independent System Operator (ISO-New England) and the Electricity Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT); both MISO and ISO-New England include Canadian interconnections. The principal investigators will conduct policy review and analysis, focus groups, interviews, and media analysis to examine the values that inform Smart Grid development and use as well as barriers to implementation. The project contributes to a growing body of social scientific research on nanomaterials and scientific innovation. In addition to increasing understanding of national, regional and state-level influences on Smart Grid technology deployment, the researchers' results will enable energy professionals, state and regional planners, policy analysts, non-profits, and businesses to develop more effective strategies for involving the public in Smart Grid technology design, technology implementation, and policy formation.