National Grid, the company that manages power in Long Island, New York, for American Superconductor Corporation’s D-VAR Statcom service. This Smart Grid service will help maintain the efficiency and reliability of Long Island’s electrical grid. Under the agreement, AMSC will install the D-VAR Statcom service for National Grid by 2010.

About the D-VAR Statcom service:

D-VAR dynamic reactive compensation systems are classified as Static Compensators, or “STATCOMs,” a member of the FACTS (Flexible AC-Transmission System) family of power electronic servcies for alternating current (AC) power grids. These Smart Grid services are able to detect and compensate for voltage disturbances by dynamically injecting leading or lagging reactive power into the power grid.

Reactive power compensation is necessary to stabilize voltage, relieve power grid congestion, improve electrical efficiency, and prevent blackouts in power grids.