Battelle is spearheading a smart grid project in the Pacific Northwest to help reduce energy costs and carbon emissions. The project uses "transactive control" technology to provide near real-time energy price signals to consumers and utilities to optimize energy usage. This two-way communication system allows demand to be reduced during peak periods to avoid power outages and better integrate renewable resources like solar and wind. The project involves 60,000 smart meters and aims to understand the costs and benefits of smart grid technologies through data collection and analysis.