Alliance between PJM and AREVA on smarter grids formed

BETHESDA, MARYLAND - AREVA's Transmission & Distribution (T&D) division and PJM Interconnection have formed a strategic alliance to better address the challenges related to "smarter" transmission grids in the northeastern United States.

PJM Interconnection is a world-class regional transmission organization that coordinates the movement of wholesale electricity in all or parts of 13 American states as well as Washington, DC. AREVA T&D has a successful track record of delivering effective solutions to PJM, and has helped PJM launch a number of industry firsts including a locational marginal pricing (LMP)-based solution for the multi-settlement electricity market, and the first large-scale mixed integer programming (MIP) solution for clearing the day-ahead market.

Building upon many years of successful collaboration, PJM and AREVA T&D will now be working together on improving system resiliency and efficiency in the new paradigm of smarter grids.

Their joint efforts will focus on enriching AREVA T&D's e-terra applications suite with "Smarter Dispatch" technologies, which will enable the deployment of a new generation of resources and devices for improved operational efficiency and expanded system security; and with technologies that leverage PJM's experience in providing quality and timely market information which will enable significant and dramatic increase of the penetration of Demand Response technologies across PJM's footprint.

"We constantly strive to serve PJM members with unparalleled market efficiency and system reliability. Over the years, our partnership with AREVA has made it possible to expand our services with quality and cost-effective improvements," said Andy Ott, Senior VP, Market Operations of PJM Interconnection. "On more than one occasion, AREVA T&D and PJM have worked collaboratively to deliver outstanding world-class solutions to meet our most challenging business requirements."

"Smarter teamwork is a key part of our strategy to create Smarter Grids, and our alliance with PJM is exactly that," said Jean-Michel Cornille, Executive Vice-President, Automation Business Unit, AREVA T&D. "We are looking forward to combining our complementary areas of expertise to help shape the direction of Smart Grid technology, and to make more reliable, efficient and stronger networks a reality."