[Portland General Electric, 15 July 2019]

Portland General Electric (PGE) has launched its latest venture into new and innovative technologies, the Smart Grid Test Bed. The Test Bed aims to “integrate smart grid technology on a scale never before attempted in the United States.” The project will cover three neighborhoods in its service territory – and over 20,000 of their customers will be able to participate in the demand response programs involved with the test bed; they will also be able to receive incentives for using smart-home technologies. The pilot will also help boost the development of distributed energy resources like rooftop solar, batteries, thermostats, water heaters, and EV charging. PGE hopes this project will be a major step in creating a virtual power plant and “will help address climate change, empower communities in how they consume energy and create a more resilient power system, all while saving customers money.”