When the economy is down, governments often find ways to spend money on improving infrastructure whilst simultaneously creating much needed jobs - it is an age old strategy and one that is once again being employed.
There has been much discussion about improving the US electricity grid but until recently little progress has been made. Recently however Nevada's Senator Harry Reid, in conjunction with the US Secretary of Labor, has announced that $138 million in federal funding has been awarded to NV Energy to build the necessary infrastructure to implement smart grid technology in Nevada.
It has been reported that with "matching funds", the total to be awarded as part of"The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act" could reach $298 million - a collosal figure for a state suffering one of the worst unemployment rates in the nation. This project is one of the largest electrical grid modernizations in history and is believed to be just one of many job-creating improvements to sweep the country.
Secretary of Labour Hilda Solis has stated that the US is aiming to building a clean green energy economy and this move is one that will no doubt initiate the implementation of many new technologies.
Not only will the implementation of this advanced technology create jobs, it also moves toward preparing the nation for the onset of electric cars and greener technologies of the future. The extensive network will connect nearly one and a half million electric and gas meters across state, serving over 2.4 million people.
