NIST Framework and Roadmap

Under the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) was assigned “primary responsibility to coordinate development of a framework that includes protocols and model standards for information management to achieve interoperability of Smart Grid devices and systems…” [EISA Section 1305]. 35 This responsibility comes at a time when the electric power grid and electric power industry are undergoing the most dramatic transformation in many decades. Very significant investments are being made by industry and the federal government to modernize the power grid. To realize the full benefits of these investments—and the continued investments forecast for the coming decades—there is a continued need to establish effective smart grid 36 standards and protocols for interoperability.