Public comments filed with the Department of Energy(DOE) in response to their two Requests for Information (RFI) that were issued in May 2010 are available at http://gc.energy.gov/1592.htm. UTC was one of the groups that filed comments in response the two RFIs. You can find these links and more information at www.utc.org/doe.

By way of background, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recommended in its National Broadband Plan that the DOE conduct a study into the current and future communications needs of utilities for smart grid and other communications. In the NBP, the FCC explained that one of the reasons for this recommendation is that the record that was developed at the FCC was inadequate for it to determine the communications needs of utilities for smart grid. As such, this study will attempt to gather the quantitative information that the FCC was after when it sought comment on smart grid during its NBP docket; and it could lay the groundwork for providing utilities with access to spectrum for smart grid, as well as for other communications needs. Additionally, the FCC called on the DOE to "consider consumer data access policies when evaluating Smart Grid grant applications, report on states’ progress toward enacting consumer data accessibility, and develop best practices guidance for states.” The DOE RFIs are the result of the FCC’s NBP recommendations.

Reply comments are due on July 26, 2010. UTC thanks all its members that assisted us with information for these comments, as well as those that submitted comments. .