Standardized architectural designs and interfaces are important to stimulate developments toward a smart grid. OE has supported development and testing of the IEEE 1547 Series of Standards on interconnecting distributed resources with electric power systems by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. In addition, OE has supported the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and the GridWise Architecture Council to identify areas for standardization to allow significant levels of interoperation among electric grid system components. Furthermore, OE also supports public/private partnerships such as the GridWise Alliance and the Grid Modernization Collaborative to coordinate and collaborate on smart grid development.

These and other OE R&D activities, organized below under four key Technology Areas, will directly contribute to achieving the performance features of a smart grid:

Architecture & Communication Standards
Architectural framework and components to enable interoperability of all components and systems in the nation's power grid including existing legacy systems

Monitoring & Load Management Technologies
Fault detection, localization, prediction and power quality monitoring with integration of communication, analysis, and control techniques;

Monitoring and control of industrial/commercial/residential loads for demand-side management

Advanced Components & Operating Concepts
Interconnection technologies, substation and equipment advancements, advanced system operating concepts (intentional islanding, Microgrids, etc.)

Modeling & Simulation
Planning and operational support for contingencies and disturbance events, including integration with disparate databases, reconfiguration, restoration, and optimization of grid performance.