The U.S. Energy Dept. will award $57 million in economic-stimulus funding to support local, university and private smart-grid projects. About $47 million will supplement eight existing smart-grid demonstration projects now planned across the U.S., according to DOE. The remainder is going to local governments to fund modification of emergency- preparedness plans that will consider smart-grid technologies and renewable resources in transmission infrastructure. The awards are part of billions of dollars available for smart-grid projects under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. DOE also announced on July 20 it has chosen Virginia Tech University, Blacksburg, as the location of a smart-grid clearinghouse that will coordinate information distribution about smart-grid technologies and initiatives.