Lisa Murkowski

Our challenge then is to figure out how we attract, how we retain new workers in those fields.

I would urge a level of expediency and absolute urgency. Because otherwise we will as a country by shutting the door on nuclear which I think would be irresponsible.

To know that where we're starting the process is concerning.

If we're going to be the leader in energy technology investment, in R and D, is a must.

I appreciate your openness and your being here this morning.

I think the word that you used was that the States are good laboratories. I would certainly agree with that.

So hopefully with the support of this proposal we'll be able to bring the two together to meet our future energy work force needs.

It is something that I think we've got to really focus, not only on the definition but what the goal is.

This increase in my mind anyway, is a necessary one.

We don't need to be withholding stimulus moneys, at this point in time, in making certain that those standards and protocols are in place first, and then the money comes.

I do hope that we will be aggressive, and we will be aggressive before things are put in place.

There is a great deal of funding--Federal funding out there now for NIST for implementation of the smart grid.

I think that anytime you're developing standards in a realm where the technology itself is rapidly evolving...

Should disbursal of these stimulus funds be contingent on development of the standards and protocols?

Congress saw this potential back in 2007 with passage of the Smart Grid provisions in Title XIII of the Energy Independence and Security Act.

Smart Grid is not the build out of miles and miles of high voltage transmission line.

The promises of a smarter grid are many. Consumers will be able to monitor in real time the amount, price, and even source of the electricity that they consume.

Smart grid is the future and the program in Boulder demonstrates daily how much potential this technology has.

How does DOE propose to undertake this responsibility, just in terms of the information that is out there?

It's going to be a challenge for us to really educate consumers as to, How do you take advantage of this?

If we don't have the standards and protocols in place, we spend it, but we don't have the systems.

Thank you to Chairman Bingaman for convening this hearing on the timely topic of Smart Grid.

We know that smart grid is not the buildout of miles and miles of high-voltage transmission lines; instead, it's--what we're really talking about is a potential transformation in how we use and deliver electricity.

The consumer will manage what we can measure.

It was just last week that Secretary of Energy Chu cited the lack of standards and protocols necessary to allow different systems to communicate with one another as the biggest roadblock in the advancement of smart grid technology.