June 11th, 2009
Cisco scores Duke Energy for smart grid work
Cisco Systems certainly hasn’t wasted any time in finding high-profile partners for its smart grid technology aspirations. The networking giant signed a three-year alliance with Duke Energy under which it will help the utility company (which is North America’s third-largest) convert its existing delivery system into a smart grid that includes two-way communications capabilities.
Cisco hopes to gain the upper hand in projects like these because of its ability to support what it describes as “internet protocol-based open standards.” Essentially by helping utilities avoid placing a costly bet on a proprietary infrastructure that might not be supported in the future. Cisco actually will operate as a bit of services company on the project, helping Duke Energy evaluate smart grid software and technology that might be appropriate. It also gets a piece of the action when it comes to installing “home energy management devices.”
Duke Energy’s projects will touch Ohio, where the company will begin a five-year deployment of 700,000 electric smart meters and 450,000 natural gas smart meters later this year; Indiana, where it is eying 800,000 smart meters; and North Carolina, South Carolina and Kentucky.
Disclosure: Please note that Cisco’s worldwide partner business unit helps pay some of my bills through consulting and communications projects, but I have nothing to do with the divisions working on any of its technologies in the green realm—other than periodic briefings and news alerts that I receive along with the rest of the green technology journalist community.
Heather Clancy is an award-winning business journalist in the New York area with more than 20 years experience covering the high-tech industry. See her full profile and disclosure of her industry affiliations. See her full profile and disclosure of her industry affiliations.
Subscribe to GreenTech Pastures via Email alerts or RSS.
