Area Development
The Pacific Northwest Smart Grid Demonstration Project has received approval of a $178 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to deploy smart grid technology across five states. The project will create 500 jobs in Washington and 1,500 jobs in the Pacific Northwest.

"With funding for this landmark smart grid demonstration project now moving ahead, our region is cementing its leadership in what will be a worldwide smart grid marketplace worth hundreds of billions of dollars," Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) said.

The DOE's National Energy Technology Laboratory in Morgantown, West Virginia, approved the grant. The funds will be used to install smart grid frameworks across the region, which include smart meters to track real-time energy use. Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming will receive the funding.