An Austin-based IT consultancy has just published a short guide on how to "take your office off the grid." It doesn't really say much new, but it does illustrate a concerning trend - more and more businesses are coming to believe that grid divorce is desirable and possible. We told you about Walmart; click to read how Verizon is parting ways with utilities.

EPRI's cybersecurity research team released a technical update intended to help utilities enhance interoperability and speed up integration of AMI systems with their security systems. Click for details and a link to the update.

Supporters and critics alike have been watching closely as some states move to raise renewable energy requirements and others try to dismantle them. In the latest chapter, the Colorado House approved a bill Tuesday that would raise renewables requirements for rural electric cooperatives to 20% - a 10% increase. The Senate still has to weigh in.

In a progress report to state regulators, ComEd said its 2012 investments in distributed automation were well worth it. Customer power interruptions dropped by 82,000 last year as a result of the smart grid technology. Learn what ComEd plans next.

How many different ways can smart grid and related technologies positively impact our world? You may be surprised. We've highlighted seven projects with the potential to make a difference in lives, livelihoods and/or the world at large - all in very different ways.

The role of microgrids in improving grid resilience, particularly in the wake of Superstorm Sandy, has been a hot topic. But there's been less discussion about microgrid security. In today's guest column, cybersecurity pro Ernest Hayden of Verizon advises a holistic view of microgrid security that includes three key considerations.

The Daily Mail is using the UK's pending smart meter rollout as the excuse to run a "Big Brother" scare story about sinister technology that turns off refrigerators and freezers without their owner's consent. But the rabble rousers are adding another angle that may be even more nefarious.

The Energy Collective posted an interesting discussion of the Obama Administration's proposal to create a "contest" to spur grid innovation along the lines of the "race to the top" effort to promote educational reform. Will it work? We have our doubts, but click and see what you think.

NRG Energy and University of Delaware celebrated a milestone in their electric vehicle to grid project - selling electricity from an EV fleet to PJM. It's a first, they say. And we say (again) that vehicle to grid is a dumb idea. Click for details and to add your thoughts.

The challenge in energy efficiency is not so much rolling out the programs. The hardest part is the verification that allows the utility to get proper credit. Seattle-based EnergySavvy and its partners are out to change that. Click for details on the new Audit Partner Program.

A new DOE analysis of the economic gains to date from the $2.9 billion in smart grid stimulus spending suggests it generated nearly $7 million in economic benefits and nearly 50,000 jobs. The DOE gives itself pretty high marks. Do you? Read the details and take our quick poll.

All-electric cars didn't exactly fly off showroom floors when they were rolled out a couple years ago - but that really shouldn't be much of a surprise. A Forbes article outlines the reasons why production should continue - but also points out problems, including increasingly questioned subsidies and tax rebates - that need to be addressed.

Researchers from a DOE lab and Stanford University have designed a low-cost, long-life flow battery that could enable solar and wind energy to become major suppliers to the electric grid. Click for details on what DOE is calling an important early result.

Practical, cost-effective energy storage is one of the holy grails in the smart grid sector, but the way different regions approach solutions is very different. In Asia, notably China, universities are heavily relied on for R&D contributions, unlike Europe and the Americas, says a new report from Lux Research.

If you want to see who's winning the big smart grid deals, you're in the right place. This week's featured winners inked contracts from Latvia to Malaysia to Alabama and beyond. We've also got a big ABB honor and an ABB acquisition to tell you about - plus a major smart grid milestone in Florida. Click so you don't miss any of it.

There are positive signs we are getting smarter about water, though Neil Strother of Navigant Research says there's no need to celebrate just yet. Click to read why he says the latest moves are more incremental than transformational.

Should we be talking to consumers about smart homes instead of smart meters? That's what a new study out of the UK seems to suggest. Click for a quick peek at that report and three more we think you'll find as interesting as we did.

When utility crews team up to restore power after major disasters like Hurricane Sandy, keeping track of their own vehicles can be tricky, let alone monitoring where other crews are. Clevest Solutions has launched a new version of its locator software to make that chore easier and more efficient.

Considering the various beatings wind and solar took last year from bottoming markets, product oversupply and controversy over production tax credits, it seems unlikely that investment in the renewables sector is going to take off. But Bloomberg New Energy Finance thinks otherwise; find out why.

A new report from a market research firm forecasts that the grid-scale energy storage market will blast off and grow nearly 4,000% by 2017. We're all for optimism and agree that energy storage is on a growth path. But 4,000% growth in four years? Click to see what you make of it.