Energy utilities in the Internet and NII: Users or providers?
In its bid to respond to evolving business requirements, the energy utility industry is exploring new ways to provide cost effective quality energy to its constituency while concurrently reducing the need for additional generation plants, consumption of non-renewable fuel resources, and generation of emissions. Their options cover a full spectrum that includes the utilities providing the ``last mile`` access to its customers for both generic internet access required for empowering the users as well as supporting the necessary utility applications. In one scenario the Energy utilities provide high speed NII access to both residences and industry over utility owned infrastructure in order to obtain the level off reliability they need as well as providing the infrastructure necessary to support real time energy supply and consumption management. In a second scenario, the energy utilities make use of a combination of their own infrastructure and that of existing service providers, such as cable and telecommunications companies to satisfy the same set of requirements. Either scenario can greatly increase the number of active nodes on the National Information Infrastructure (NII) and the Global Information Infrastructure (GII); and therefore have a large impact on the network. This paper will outline the major areas and issues with respect to (1) the energy utilities use and possible provision of network services, (2) the current major business and regulatory issues, (3) the technical challenges facing an utility company wishing to use the Internet, NII, and GII to support both its internal and customer based communications needs; and (4) explore what models and technologies are required by both the utilities and their customers (e.g. premises LAN, the gateway to the premises, and the utility infrastructure) to support both energy demand management and possibly generic Internet/NII/GII access to the end user.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- OSTI ID:
- 119939
- Report Number(s):
- UCRL-JC--120629; CONF-9506272--1; ON: DE96001729
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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