Here’s a video just posted on the ARPA-E (Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy) YouTube video channel, presenting a bit of information on the U.S. Department of Energy’s involvement in smart grid.
By design, it’s not very detailed; it covers a great deal of turf in less than five minutes. I’m particularly impressed with the progress that Harvard University is making in flow batteries for large-scale energy storage, and the work being done with power electronics to facilitate high-voltage/current transmission over long distances.