The National Institute of Standards and Technology (“NIST”) announced the release of Framework and Roadmap for Smart Grid Interoperability Standards 2.0. Framework 2.0 lays out a plan for transforming the nation's aging electric power system into an interoperable Smart Grid – a network that will integrate information and communication technologies with the power-delivery infrastructure, enabling two-way flows of energy and communications. It is the result of NIST’s ongoing work on standards for the Smart Grid. Among the stakeholder groups who may find Framework 2.0 most useful are the following:

• Utilities and suppliers concerned with how best to understand and implement the Smart Grid (especially Chapters 3, 4, and 6)
• Testing laboratories and certification organizations (especially Chapter 7)
• Academia (especially Section 5.5 and Chapter 8)
• Regulators (especially Chapters 1, 4, and 6)

The transition to the Smart Grid introduces new regulatory considerations and will require increased coordination among federal, state and local lawmakers and regulators. The conceptual model is intended to be a useful tool for regulators at all levels to assess how best to achieve public policy goals that, along with business objectives, motivate investments in modernizing the nation’s electric power infrastructure and building a clean energy economy. Figure 3.1 below provides a nice overview of the NIST Smart Grid Framework.

Figure 3-1. Interaction of Actors in Different Smart Grid Domains through Secure Communication (Page 42 of Release 2.0)