Barron`s:Special Report -WISE BETS ON SMARTER GRID: From Cisco to EnerNOC, many stand to cash in on the modernization of the power grid.

"But gradually adding smart-grid companies to build the green portion of your portfolio is probably a good idea. "Overall, we expect smart-grid companies to show superior earnings growth relative to other clean-tech sub-segments," says Barclays' Shah. "We expect the stocks to trade at a premium valuation.

Steven Milunovich, an analyst at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, calls the smart grid Merrill's "favorite" green-energy sector, because smart-grid companies are less capital-intensive than solar and wind-power companies, and generally deliver higher returns.

Besides, as Canaccord Adams analyst John Quealy notes, smart-grid upgrades in the U.S. and elsewhere are prerequisites to using solar and wind power in the most cost-effective and efficient ways."

Silver Spring- plans a Smart Grid IPO may value high as $3 BILLION-according to Dow Jones !!!

Duke's 'smart grid' meters begin in Oxford !!!!!!!!!!!!

BY STEPHANIE MILES • ENQUIRER CONTRIBUTOR • FEBRUARY 18, 2010

OXFORD - The first stop for Duke Energy's smart grid technology - which will give the company instantaneous energy information - is this college town.

"With it being a college town, a lot of students and residents here are high tech," said Tim Abbott, director of government and community relations for Duke. "This will benefit the customers, company and environment."Duke installed its first digital electric meters Thursday at 313 N. College St., home to Miami University students. The company said 6,000 residential electric meters will be installed in Oxford by May.

The smart grid technology will offer remote meter reading, record daily energy use and be linked to Duke's power delivery system, Abbott said. The digital electric meters will save labor costs and eliminate the need for estimated bills. Also, remote service connections and disconnections will eliminate the need for scheduling appointments.

Customers will have online access to view their hourly and daily energy usage to make wiser decisions and avoid billing surprises, Abbott said.

Since people move in and out of the college town throughout the year, Abbott said the new technology will reduce disconnect and reconnect hassles and will improve power outage response times.

Duke plans to spend about $1 billion over the next five years on smart grid technology in Ohio, Abbott said.

The benefits will not start immediately but Oxford residents should see improvements after the installation process is completed in May, Abbott said.

"It's great to be on the cutting edge of technology," said Doug Elliott, city manager of Oxford. "We're excited about it."

For more information on smart grid technology, visit the www.Duke-energy.com/smartgrid or www.smartenergynewsroom.com.

Who Will Be the Smart Grid's Billion Dollar Winners?

February 07, 2010

Smart Grid’s Expected 250% 5-Yr Growth Rate is Great News ...

January 2010, Ambient received purchase orders from Duke to purchase its newest version of the X-3100 communication nodes in the aggregate amount of $9.9 million.

SEC filing S-1, Feb 5, 2010

...
In 2008, Ambient received purchase orders from Duke Energy to purchase its X2000 and X-3000 communications nodes, license its AmbientNMS™, and acquire engineering support in building out an intelligent grid/intelligent-metering platform, which generated $12.6 million in revenues for the year ended December 31, 2008 and $918,260 for the nine month period ended September 30, 2009.

In the fourth quarter of 2009 and in January 2010, Ambient received purchase orders from Duke to purchase its newest version of the X-3100 communication nodes in the aggregate amount of $9.9 million. We expect to ship these devices by June 30, 2010.


....

DUKE ENERGY Smart Grid plan kicks off in Cincinnati

Smart Grid plan kicks off in Cincinnati

Digital meters will replace analog during five-year deployment schedule

By Amanda Woodruff | The News Record

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Published: Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Updated: Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Anna Bentley | The News Record

The University of Cincinnati is scheduled to receive digital meters to help accuracy in energy readings by 2011 at the latest.

Duke Energy plans to spend $1 billion in a five-year deployment plan across five states to install Smart Grid technology.

Corryville is one of the first neighboring areas to receive the technology, according to the Duke Energy deployment plan. The University of Cincinnati should follow within one year.

The installation of Smart Grid technology might serve as a catalyst in UC’s goal to reduce green house gas emissions by 20 percent before 2012. The university is halfway there, according to the College Sustainability Report Card 2010.

The technology allows consumers to go online and check energy costs from day to day.
“It might be usually cold or usually warm,” said Sally Thelen, Duke Energy spokesperson. “If someone has a budget, they can see what they need to do to stay under it. It gives them the power to make decisions regarding their energy use.”

The switch from analog to digital meters reduces foot traffic of Duke employees, who travel from home to home, checking meters. Instead of 12 visits each year, there would only be one visit, which would check the integrity of the meter.

Employment would not be immediately affected, Thelen said.

Estimated bills become a thing of the past. Duke Energy employees can read the new meter remotely from the street so there is no need for a homeowner or renter to send in a reading if they miss the “meter reader.”

For college students, move-in and move-out dates present the hassle of transferring services.

“Every time we have a turn on and turn off a service, we have to be present out there to read the meter and make sure everything gets connected and turned on safely,” on safely,” Thelen said. Instead, it would be automatic. 

In reality, there are two types of this technology: a smarter grid and smart grid. The former is a short-term system that focuses on updated technology and affordability. The latter is a long-term system that mimics the convenience of the Internet, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

“By next year, there could be something that is even better, that is faster or does something different,” Thelen said. “We’re not committing ourselves to any one type — it gives us the flexibility to make sure we’re using the latest and greatest technology.”

The Federal government established a smart Grid Task Force to assist in the transformation. Although Duke Energy applied for stimulus money, it has yet to hear back.

The transformation from analog to digital meters is still a process in itself.

“We can’t snap our fingers and have it done overnight,” Thelen said.

Duke Energy installed seven smart switches on power poles in Price Hill September 2009. Queen City Avenue experienced apower outage during this time and the smart grid technology was able to reroute itself within one hour.

“It’s a smart-healing network,” Thelen said. “It’s such a new concept and it provides a peace of mind for people.”

The plan includes the deployment of 700,000 electric smart meters and 450,000 natural gas meters.