Kansas-based utility to receive 'smart grid' funds
The Topeka-based utility said it received notice from the U.S. Department of Energy that it was selected to receive part of $3.4 billion in stimulus funds for so-called "smart grid" projects. Those projects are aimed at bringing energy systems into the digital age.
Westar says the department hasn't determined how much it will receive but said it was eligible for more than $19 million. Westar had sought $20 million of the project's almost $40 million price tag.
The project will provide electric customers in Lawrence with programmable thermostats that they can monitor and adjust online, helping reduce their power consumption and helping Westar deal with periods of peak energy demand.
Related News
Atlantic grids, forestry, coastlines need rethink in era of intense storms: experts
HALIFAX - In an era when storms with hurricane-force winds are expected to keep battering Atlantic Canada, experts say the region should make major changes to electrical grids, shoreline defences and even the types of trees being planted.
Work continues today to reconnect customers after post-tropical storm Dorian knocked out power to 80 per cent of homes and businesses in Nova Scotia. By early afternoon there were 56,000 customers without electricity in the province, compared with 400,000 at the storm's peak on the weekend.
Recent scientific literature says 35 hurricanes -- not including post-tropical storms like Dorian -- have made landfall in…
