By adopting GridWise, the energy industry will be able to deliver a more secure and stable product at a lower cost while reducing the need for large-scale infrastructure investments.

GridWise maximizes the utilization of existing resources and minimizes the need for expensive, new capital assets built primarily to meet infrequent peak demands. According to current projections, the savings could amount to tens of billions of dollars over the next decade, which would result in a stronger bottom line for the energy industry as well as better rates for customers.

By adopting flexible technologies - including real-time information gathering and dissemination, load management, and distributed generation and control - the energy industry can adapt quickly to unplanned events or stresses on the grid. Available assets can be redirected to meet critical needs and power outages would be fewer in number (with more "grey outs" than blackouts), shorter in duration and have less impact on important societal functions. In addition, distributed networks such as GridWise are less dependent on "critical" centralized facilities and therefore less susceptible to single-point vulnerabilities.

Leveraging both new and existing technologies, GridWise offers an unprecedented array of capabilities for tracking and responding to real-time changes in the energy system. With GridWise, energy providers are able to optimize system operations, manage power outages, maintain power quality and deliver better customer service.

With GridWise, generation, distribution and transmission companies have the freedom to operate according to local conditions, needs and interests. They can also participate in a variety of system-wide opportunities throughout the system made possible by the continuous stream of real-time information emanating from the grid.

The system-wide, real-time information available through GridWise allows utilities and other providers to optimize their offerings and customize their services to meet specific customer requirements. For example, utilities can tailor their services to meet the very specific needs of banking exchange facilities and chip manufacturers, both of which require high-quality, highly reliable power. Via GridWise, utilities can enter pre-defined criteria into the system, which will then detect and coordinate the delivery of energy resources to where they are valued most.