The SEI’s role in the stewardship of the Smart Grid Maturity Model is founded on its core competencies in software and systems engineering, process improvement, operational security and resiliency, and systems interoperability. These disciplines are strongly positioned to take on the challenge problems presented by a large scale, highly automated, complex mix of practices and technologies that comprise the smart grid concept.

For the Smart Grid Maturity Model, the SEI’s research activities are focused on four responsibilities:

• providing governance over the model
• promoting and advocating the widespread availability, adoption, and use of the model
• evolving and innovating the model through an understanding of stakeholder needs, market need, and user feedback
• utilizing competencies in transitioning the model through education, training, awareness, and partnership

Our research partners in the Smart Grid Maturity Model provide unprecedented access to the industry and evolving trends in the modern electric power grid modernization. We are currently working with the Department of Energy (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) to improve the existing Smart Grid Maturity Model assets based on their experience in advancing smart grid technologies and practices. The DOE Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability (OE) has the mission to lead national efforts to modernize the electric grid; enhance security and reliability of the energy infrastructure; and facilitate recovery from disruptions to energy supply. DOE OE provides numerous publications and other resources in support of the smart grid transformation. NETL has extensive resources committed to accelerating the modernization of the U.S. electric power grid.

APQC is a non-profit member-based research organization with more than 30 years of systematic quality and process improvement research. Along with IBM and the Global Intelligent Utility Network Coalition, APQC is one of the original founders and developers of the Smart Grid Maturity Model and is currently working with the SEI to help organizations to adopt the model for smart grid process improvement.

In addition to stewardship and advancement of the Smart Grid Maturity Model, the SEI is applying its research strengths across various aspects of the smart grid challenge. For example, the SEI is a collaborator with industry and government on important architectural and cybersecurity considerations of the smart grid, including ongoing efforts with the U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. Department of Homeland Security in critical infrastructure protection. SEI experts are actively involved in developing risk assessment methodologies for the bulk electric system and participating on user groups defining security standards for “smart” technologies and interoperability standards for the smart grid.

The smart grid presents an exciting challenge for the SEI, which is why we are developing and executing a research direction specific to this challenge that utilizes our core competencies. As this direction takes form, we will expand this page to communicate our evolving research portfolio.