argument and proposition regarding a solution to our country's energy
problems. Besides our desperate foreign oil dependence, the US also
contributes a large portion of the greenhouse gases that pollute our
planet- so clearly a solution is eminent. The beacon of hope has been
placed on the shoulder's of the futuristic 'smart grid' - an energy
efficient and eco-friendly grid that can power our country and perhaps
save our economy.
A host of naysayers have argued the feasibility
of such a high-tech energy grid- a network that can seamlessly
integrate renewable energy sources like solar and wind, can connect to
major city centers from long distance, and can regulate itself
intelligently depending on where energy needs to be allocated. 'Smart
Meters' would need to be implemented in homes, apartments and business
centers to provide constant feedback to the grid.
Despite the backlash to the initiative, president Obama's administration has gone
forward with allocating stimulus money towards constructing the smart
grid. One of the historic first steps has been taken today as the city
of Miami proposes leading the initiative with a $200 million project to
create a smart grid within Florida. The smart grid, 'Energy Smart
Miami,' will be built by network powerhouses Cisco Systems and General
Electric, among several other companies wanting to get their feet wet
with the new wave of green smart technologies.
Miami Mayor Diaz described the project (from energysmartmiami.com): "The Energy Smart
Miami Initiative is an investment in the future of our city, our
residents and our neighborhoods, and is an important step towards
creating the green jobs of the future and building a clean energy
economy. This initiative meets the Obama administration's goal of
investing in alternative and renewable energy, ending our addiction to
foreign oil, addressing the global climate crisis and creating millions
of new green jobs. I look forward to working with our partners in the
private sector to create a model of putting the economic stimulus plan
in action and breaking ground right away."
The central focus of 'Energy Smart Miami' will be installing over 1 million smart meters to
homes and business around Miami, which will provide instant energy
usage feedback to Flordia Power and Light Company. These meters will
also alow Miami's citizens and business owners to better monitor and
regulate their energy usage by providing up-to-date statistics.
Cisco
Systems, the world's leader in network hardware and technology, will
contribute by creating the infrastructure and network for these systems
. It will be the company's task to create energy management data and
controls for customers, as well as to implement the project's security
and communications technology. In other words, Cisco hardware will play
an integral role in providing the backbone for the entire grid.
John Chambers, Cisco's CEO, commented on the company's role in creating the
grid: "An intelligent energy infrastructure can accelerate American
leadership, create jobs, help increase our standard of living and drive
sustainable growth. Cisco believes that as the U.S. builds out a smart,
secure energy grid for the 21st century, networking technology will
serve as the platform and public-private partnerships will be key to
the success. We are proud to be part of this important effort in Miami."
If the city of Miami, Cisco and others can successfully take on the first
of the smart grids, it will set a president for the rest of the
country. It takes the US that much closer to the gargantuan task of
transitioning into a enlightened age of energy conservation and
environmental sustainability.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Darwin_Redshield |
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