December 01, 2009 09:00 AM Eastern Time
GridPoint to Provide Solutions for KCP&L's Smart Grid
Demonstration Project
ARLINGTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--GridPoint, Inc., an established leader in smart grid solutions,
announced today that it will provide home energy management, load management and electric vehicle
management software solutions for KCP&L’s Green Impact Zone SmartGrid Demonstration in Kansas
City, Mo. The project is the recipient of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding.
GridPoint worked with the utility to draft the proposal, which is part of $620 million allocated by the U.S.
Department of Energy (DOE) in support of smart grid demonstration projects.
KCP&L’s project will integrate with a wider urban revitalization effort, the Green Impact Zone, providing it
with a modern energy infrastructure. Working with the City of Kansas City, Green Impact Zone
participants and its solution partners, KCP&L will deploy an end-to-end smart grid that will include
advanced generation, distribution and customer technologies and solutions to the demonstration area’s
electrical infrastructure.
“We commend KCP&L for undertaking this ambitious project, which has a strong focus on engaging
consumers. The utility shares our belief that their participation is a key component of building an
intelligent, modern electric grid,” said Peter L. Corsell, CEO, GridPoint.
The project will provide area businesses and residents with enhanced reliability and efficiency through
useful information about electricity supply, demand and prices and help them to manage their electricity
use and save money. GridPoint’s home energy management solution will engage KCP&L customers in
an ongoing conversation, providing tools to automate and easily control the heating, cooling and
operation of smart devices within their homes. Customers will receive GridPoint’s consumer portal, which
will provide a visually compelling, comprehensive picture of energy usage and real-time data about
pricing, enabling them to automatically schedule time-of-day and device-specific commands.
KCP&L will also demonstrate how real-time grid conditions and driver needs can be balanced to
intelligently charge plug-in electric vehicles. GridPoint’s smart charging software manages the flow of
electricity to both vehicles and charging infrastructure. During periods of high demand, it can be delayed
or slowed – minimizing grid stress and ensuring service reliability. When wind or solar power is available,
the charging rate can be increased to expand the use of renewable energy in the grid. Smart charging
also allows electric cars to be employed in the cost-effective delivery of ancillary services.
In addition, KCP&L will utilize GridPoint’s load management solution -- featuring sophisticated prediction
algorithms, automated scheduling and advanced measurement and verification tools -- to manage peak
demand and shape load to ensure system reliability, avoid peak energy prices and defer investments in
new power plants.
“GridPoint will allow us to provide visibility and control to our customers and at the same time help us
increase the efficiency and reliability of the grid, reduce costs and prepare for the arrival of new
technologies such as plug-in vehicles,” said Ed Matthews, Director, Smart Grid, KCP&L.
GridPoint is working with utilities nationwide including Austin Energy, Duke Energy, Sacramento
Municipal Utility District and Xcel Energy. The company was recently named to the Global Cleantech 100
and in 2008 was selected by the World Economic Forum as a Technology Pioneer.
About KCP&L
Headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., Great Plains Energy Incorporated (NYSE: GXP) is the holding
company of Kansas City Power & Light Company and KCP&L Greater Missouri Operations Company,
two of the leading regulated providers of electricity in the Midwest. Kansas City Power & Light and
KCP&L Greater Missouri Operations use KCP&L as a brand name. More information about the
companies is available on the Internet at: www.greatplainsenergy.com or www.kcpl.com.
About GridPoint
GridPoint, Inc., an established leader in smart grid software and services, enables energy producers and
consumers to manage the transformation to a smart grid. The company’s software applications integrate,
aggregate and manage distributed sources of load, storage and generation. Utilities use GridPoint’s
solutions to efficiently balance supply and demand, improve grid reliability and empower consumers with
user-friendly software to manage energy consumption. Enterprise customers use GridPoint’s intelligent
energy management and revenue-grade sub-metering systems to increase their facilities’ efficiency.
GridPoint’s innovative portal connects residential and enterprise customers to the smart grid – providing
them with energy information and engaging them in a variety of utility programs, including demand
response, solar, storage, sub-metering or even smart charging programs for plug-in vehicles. With
GridPoint’s interoperable platform, utility and enterprise customers realize the benefits of energy
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intelligence. The result is a practical path to developing a clean, efficient 21 century grid. On the Net:
www.gridpoint.com