Estimating the Costs and Benefits of the Smart Grid

This report documents the methodology, key assumptions, and results of a quantitative evaluation of the investment needed (costs) for an envisioned Smart Grid, and it represents a partial update to an earlier EPRI report (EPRI TR- 1011001). It also offers a preliminary estimate of benefits of implementing a Smart Grid. This report is a framework for discussing possible levels of investment to achieve a fully functioning Smart Grid. It is not a definitive analysis of all attributes or costs of enhancing the power delivery system.