Oregon Public Broadcasting

The Northwest's electrical grid would become more nimble and efficient with $178 million of federal grant money announced Monday.

The so-called "smart grid project" could help create an estimated 1,500 jobs across the West.

Democratic U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell made the announcement at the Pacific Northwest National Lab in Richland. The lab is developing smart grid technology.

She says a smart grid will help the Northwest cope with ever-increasing power demands and maybe even save consumers money.

Maria Cantwell: "Unless we make our grid smarter, there is no way we will be able to handle the millions of plug-in electric vehicles that we are hoping consumers will put in on the road and into their driveways."

Work on the project will span Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming.

Project leaders say their main concern is how quickly they can manufacture smart meters and other technical equipment needed for this large-scale demonstration.