Release 2.0 of the 'Framework and Roadmap for Smart Grid Interoperability' is part of the Obama administration's effort to develop a smart-grid combining electricity distribution and information technology. The NIST standards are intended to improve the security of the smart grid.
The original version identified 75 existing standards for the smart-grid infrastructure, as well as 15 high-priority gaps where additional standards were needed. The updated version fills those gaps.
NIST noted that, in addition to federal efforts, many state and local authorities are pursuing their own smart grid projects, but these projects must converge into a national smart grid. “Therefore, the interoperability and cybersecurity standards developed under the NIST framework and roadmap must support the role of the states in modernizing the nation’s electric grid. The NIST framework can provide a valuable input to regulators as they consider the prudency of investments proposed by utilities”, NIST argued in its updated framework.
“A key objective of NIST’s effort is to create a self-sustaining, ongoing standards process that supports continuous innovation as grid modernization continues in the decades to come”, the agency said.
“Grid modernization should ensure backward compatibility to the greatest extent practical. NIST envisions that the processes being put in place by the SGIP [Smart Grid Interoperability Panel], as they mature, will provide the mechanism to evolve the smart grid standards framework as new requirements and technologies emerge. The SGIP processes will also evolve and improve as experience is gained”, NIST concluded.