[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 124 (Tuesday, June 30, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Page 31254]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-15467]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Institute of Standards and Technology

[Docket Number: 0906181063-91064-01]


Request for Comments on ``Report to NIST on the Smart Grid 
Interoperability Standards Roadmap'' (Contract No. SB1341-09-CN-0031--
Deliverable 7)

AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), 
Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) 
seeks comments on a report, entitled ``Report to NIST on the Smart Grid 
Interoperability Standards Roadmap'' (the ``EPRI Report''), prepared by 
the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) under a contract (Contract 
No. SB1341-09-CN-0031--Deliverable 7) awarded to engage Smart Grid 
stakeholders in the development of a draft interim standards roadmap. 
NIST will consider the EPRI Report, and comments received on the EPRI 
Report, in the development of NIST's interim ``roadmap'' for Smart Grid 
interoperability standards, a responsibility assigned to NIST under the 
Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. All comments submitted 
should reference this notice.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before July 30, 2009.

ADDRESSES: Written comments may be sent to: George Arnold, 100 Bureau 
Drive, Stop 8100, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 
Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8100. Electronic comments may be sent to: 
[email protected].
    The report is available at: http://www.nist.gov/smartgrid/InterimSmartGridRoadmapNISTRestructure.pdf and at http://collaborate.nist.gov/twiki-sggrid/bin/view/SmartGrid/WebHome.
    Additional information may be found at: http://www.nist.gov/smartgrid.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: George Arnold, 100 Bureau Drive, Stop 
8100, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 
20899-8100, telephone (301) 975-5627.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 1305 of the Energy Independence and 
Security Act (EISA) of 2007 (Pub. L. 110-140) requires the Director of 
NIST ``to coordinate the development of a framework that includes 
protocols and model standards for information management to achieve 
interoperability of smart grid devices and systems.'' The Smart Grid is 
an important component of the Administration's comprehensive plan to 
reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, 
create jobs, and help U.S. industry lead in the global race to develop 
and apply clean energy technology. President Obama has set ambitious 
short and long-term goals, necessitating quick action and sustained 
progress in implementing the components, systems, and networks that 
will make up the Smart Grid.
    In April 2009, NIST announced a three-phase plan to expedite 
development of interoperability standards for the Smart Grid. The EPRI 
Report is an input to the first phase of the NIST plan, in which NIST 
has sought to engage utilities, equipment suppliers, consumers, 
standards developers, and other stakeholders in a public process to 
identify Smart Grid interoperability standards and priorities for 
development of new standards. The full NIST plan is available at http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/smartgrid_041309.html.
    Under a contract (Contract No. SB1341-09-CN-0031) that NIST awarded 
earlier this year in connection with the first phase of the NIST plan, 
EPRI technical experts compiled and refined inputs from a variety of 
Smart Grid stakeholders. These inputs included technical contributions 
made at two EPRI-facilitated, two-day, public workshops (April 28-29, 
2009, in Reston, Va; and May 19-20, 2009, in National Harbor, Md.). The 
EPRI Report also incorporates contributions from six expert working 
groups established by NIST in 2008, and from a cybersecurity 
coordination task group established in 2009. Hundreds of individuals, 
representing a broad range of stakeholders, have participated in the 
roadmapping process to date.
    The EPRI Report contains material gathered and refined by the 
contractor using its technical expertise. The EPRI Report is not a 
formally reviewed and approved NIST publication. Rather, it is one of 
many inputs into the ongoing NIST-coordinated roadmapping process.
    NIST is now reviewing EPRI's synthesis of stakeholder inputs 
received through the end of May 2009, as presented in the EPRI Report. 
NIST also will review the comments received from the public on the EPRI 
Report.
    NIST will use the EPRI Report and public comments as inputs in 
drafting an initial NIST Smart Grid Interoperability Framework. The 
NIST Framework, which is intended to be a living document, will 
describe a high-level architecture, identify an initial set of key 
standards, and provide a roadmap for development of new or revised 
standards needed to realize the Smart Grid. Release 1.0 of the NIST 
Smart Grid Interoperability Standards Framework is expected to be 
available in September.

    Authority:  Section 1305 of the Energy Independence and Security 
Act of 2007 (Pub. L. 110-140).

    Request for Comments: NIST seeks comments on EPRI's ``Report to 
NIST on the Smart Grid Interoperability Standards Roadmap.'' Comments 
should include a reference to this Federal Register notice. After 
evaluating the report and comments submitted in response to this 
request, as well as other inputs, NIST will draft an initial NIST Smart 
Grid Interoperability Framework, in accordance with responsibilities 
assigned to NIST under the EISA.

    Dated: June 25, 2009.
Patrick Gallagher,
Deputy Director, NIST.
[FR Doc. E9-15467 Filed 6-29-09; 8:45 am]
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