Recovery Act Money for Smart Grid was Mismanaged, IG Says

Millions of federal dollars slated for smart grid projects were not effectively managed, according to a new report from the Energy Department’s inspector general.

The department’s Smart Grid Demonstration Program received nearly $700 million in funding through the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The IG looked at 11 projects that were awarded $279 million of the Recovery Act money and $10 million in other funds. Of that, $12.3 million in reimbursements were found to lack proper documentation. Money allocated by the program faced multiple obstacles, and the program didn’t effectively coordinate with other similar initiatives, the IG found.