GAITHERSBURG, Md. - As part of the Obama Administration's commitment to moving the nation toward energy independence, the U.S. Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announced today a three-phase plan to expedite development of key standards for a Smart Grid, a nationwide network that uses information technology to deliver electricity efficiently, reliably, and securely. The recently passed American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) contains investments critical to spurring the Smart Grid development process.