“The residents of Martha’s Vineyard have certainly embraced the challenges of island living, especially where energy independence is concerned,” said Delahunt. “The Vineyard Energy Project is uniquely positioned to help the Vineyard become a national model on energy conservation.”
"The Vineyard Energy Project is thrilled to bring smart grid technology to Martha's Vineyard,” according to Dave McGlinchey, its Executive Director. “With this Federal assistance, we will be able to manage our electrical use more efficiently and integrate renewable energy into our grid more effectively."
The Vineyard Energy Project is a non-profit corporation, founded in 2003 to promote renewable energy and energy efficiency on the island, and to develop a large scale community-owned renewable energy cooperative. Funding from this grant will be used to deploy a range of smart grid technologies, including smart appliances, an interface for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, and a demand response program that will help enable the integration of solar and wind resources onto the grid.
As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the Obama administration is investing $3.4 billion in the largest single energy grid modernization in U.S. History. Grants will be used to help build a nationwide smart energy grid that will cut costs for consumers, create a stronger and more reliable grid, and increase accessibility to clean, renewable energy. An analysis by the Electric Power Research Institute estimates that implementation of smart grid technologies could reduce electricity use by more than 4 percent by 2030, saving $20.4 billion for businesses and consumers across the country.
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