The National Institute of Standards and Technology is helping to change the way your office obtains and uses electricity. NIST has released a new roadmap for building the Smart Grid, adding a new list of standards, cybersecurity guidance and product testing proposals.

When finished, that system will let devices using electricity communicate with each other over power lines. The hope is that this will lead to more efficiency and a better electric power system for the nation.

George Arnold is the NIST national coordinator for smart grid interoperability. On Friday morning, he spoke to the Federal Drive with Tom Temin and Amy Morris to explain his agency's role in making the Smart Grid happen.