Xcel's smart grid alearning lab for dos and donts The Denver Post In 2008, Xcel Energy planned to turn Boulder into an "international showcase" for reliable, renewable energy by rewiring the area with a state-of-the-art distribution grid. The company's resulting SmartGridCity project has since indeed set an example in the electricity industry after missing its 2009 target for completion and running three times over the utility's original $15.3 million budget, according to filings with the state Public Utilities Commission.
Now, as other utilities test new ways to improve their own reliability and efficiency, energy experts say they are looking at Xcel's Boulder experiment as both a trailblazer and a cautionary tale.
Cost of smart-grid projects shocks consumer advocates : Xcel says costly SmartGridCity pilot project in Boulder won't be repeated or expanded - The Denver Post http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_15872574?obref=obinsite#ixzz0y4hw41sH
