Smart Grid (R)Evolution: Electric Power Struggles.

• Author: Lamadrid, Alberto J.

Smart Grid (R)Evolution: Electric Power Struggles by JENNIE C. STEPHENS, ELIZABETH J. WILSON and TARLA RAI PETERSON. (Cambridge University Press, 2015), 218 pages, ISBN: 9781107047280. Hardback.

The electricity system continues evolving, and in recent years, the topic of "smart grids" has gained attention, with the increased usage of renewable energy sources, the rollout of advanced metering infrastructure and even the introduction of a new journal, the IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid (Power and Energy Society). But there is no consensus on what a "smart grid" means. In a new book by three professors of environmental policy and communications from the United states and Sweden, the authors aim at providing a more nuanced view, with a focus on the multidisciplinary aspects of the problem.

In the nine chapters of Smart Grid [R]Evolution, the authors discuss the overall composition of the "smart grid" system, opportunities and challenges in managing the electricity network and various stakeholders and societal actors vested in the system. The authors compare and draw upon examples from the United States and Europe, grounded in their research from the past years. Each chapter focuses on a different aspect of the problem, on what could be described as nine research papers with dedicated separate bibliographies. The authors have done a remarkable job on linking each chapter with references to the others, in order to present a cohesive book theme, while highlighting the different perspectives affecting the electricity system. Although this feature helps to navigate the book, particularly in a non-sequential reading, it lends itself to repetition that could have been used instead to deepen each one of the topics.

Chapter 1, titled Emerging Smart Grid Struggles is actually a general introduction to the book and its layout while defining the intent of the authors to disclose intricacies and complexities of the electrical system and network in the following 8 chapters.

Chapter 2 talks about Promises and Pitfalls of Smart Grid and the need for adjusting the electricity grid to meet the expectations of the modern user. Nowadays, the electricity system in addition to generating, transmitting and distributing electricity, has competing priorities as it must be resilient and able to respond to natural disasters; must be environmentally friendly and reduce the emissions of greenhouse gasses (GHG) while staying affordable for the economically disadvantaged...