Yesterday, in the first of two important industry steps, George Arnold of the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), part of the Department of Commerce, announced the publication of Smart Grid Interoperability Standards.  These standards will help smooth the way for utilities and regulators to move forward with smart meter and smart grid plans.

NIST formally adopted 25 different standards that apply to different parts of the Smart Grid.  Some are data protocols, others communication protocols, and others cyber security standards.  They will make it easier to integrate disparate systems, share data, and achieve the benefits of Smart Grid.

The second step will be in seeing which of the various standards the industry implements in a big way.  I.e., if what we need is a standard, what good is it to provide a menu of 25 different ones from which to choose?  Part of the answer is that the 25 standards address different areas.  The key answer, though, and the key standard, is the Home Area Network standard.

The HAN standard is the open interface between the utility Smart Grid and the world.  Utilities can build interfaces within their space, but the only way for smart devices and smart appliances in homes and businesses to take off is for an open interface that can be utilized by any manufacturer in the world.  That interface has to be both open and adopted by the market.  NIST’s list does include standards that fit this need.  One of them, ZigBee/HomePlug is also being adopted by the market and will be in at least 16 million electric meters in California and Texas within four years, with more in other states and countries.

NIST’s announcement is a welcome leap forward on the Smart Grid highway.