There is a growing cluster of “Smart Grid” companies that’s putting North Carolina on the map.
According to a new report out of Duke University – the Triangle has become a “hot spot” for Smart Grid companies because of all the engineering talent in the area. Smart Grid is the technology that allows energy customers to monitor and control their electricity usage via the internet. Marcy Lowe is lead author of the report Smart Grid: Core Firms in the Research Triangle Region. She says the Smart Grid cluster of nearly 60 companies has surprised a lot of people.
Marcy Lowe: " It just kind of begs the question, if this happened naturally, how far could we get with it if the state and utilities and different stakeholders in the area were to say let’s just go ahead and chase this down. Let’s be purposeful about it and become the Smart Grid capital of the United States."
Nationally, California is home to the most leading Smart Grid companies, followed by Pennsylvania and North Carolina.
