Smart Grid Project in New Mexico Supported by Japan

Representatives from the northern New Mexico community, the State of New Mexico, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and Japan's New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) met last week in Los Alamos to initiate a $27 million smart grid and alternative energy project.  The project will build a 2-megawatt photovoltaic facility, a 7-megawatt-hour battery storage system, and a smart house intended to demonstrate new construction techniques, smart meters and smart appliances.

In March Los Alamos National Lab's Applied Energy Program and NEDO signed an agreement to participate in a smart grid modeling and simulation project.  NEDO will provide a smart grid research facility which LANL scientists will use in their modeling efforts . A small-scale Smart Grid will be created locally as part of a separate agreement with Los Alamos County, which owns the local municipal utility system.

NEDO will be investing $30 million over four years on micro-grid and smart house demonstration projects in Los Alamos and in commercial areas of Albuquerque.  NEDO has selected 19 companies including Toshiba and Kyocera to collaborate with the state of New Mexico, Los Alamos and Sandia national labs, Los Alamos County and others.