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

智能电网这一术语代表了一套复杂的技术，具有提高电力生产、储存、传输、分配和使用的效率和降低成本的潜力。纳米技术和新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、弹性和能量储存，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于开发可持续的美国能源系统至关重要，但对这些系统是什么以及它们是如何发展的愿景显然存在重大差异。通过探索影响智能电网开发和实施的价值和背景，该项目有助于不断努力加快我们老化的电力系统的过渡，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CSISE董事会、SBE纳米倡议和STS计划资助，以四个问题为指导：(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阐明他们对智能电网发展和部署的愿景？(3)智能电网技术的主要部署挑战是什么？(4)如何改进和扩展关于科学、技术和社会、社会技术转型和能源技术部署的理论，以更有效地整合新兴能源技术系统的经验组件？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-新英格兰)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互连。主要调查人员将进行政策审查和分析、焦点小组、访谈和媒体分析，以检查影响智能电网开发和使用的价值观以及实施的障碍。该项目为越来越多的关于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、地区和州层面对智能电网技术部署的影响的了解外，研究人员的成果还将使能源专业人士、州和地区规划者、政策分析师、非营利组织和企业制定更有效的战略，让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.