September 16, 2008 -- The GridWise Alliance announced today that fifteen leading companies and academic institutions have joined the national coalition whose goal is to transform the nation's electric power system. New members include BC Hydro, British Columbia Institute of Technology, Electricite de France, Elster Integrated Solutions, EnerNex Corporation, Florida State University-Center for Advanced Power Systems, Hewlett-Packard, Institiute of Electrical Power Engineering, Milsoft Utility Solutions, Open Systems International, Optimal Technologies Corporation, Progress Energy, Solar Integrated Technologies, Tendril Networks, and VELCO.
"We are pleased to welcome these new members to the GridWise Alliance. These companies and academic institutions strengthen the coalition and broaden our impact by bringing their knowledge and innovation to our efforts to transform the electricity grid," comments Guido Bartels, chairman of the GridWise Alliance and general manager of IBM's Global Energy and Utilities Industry. "With the addition of these new members the diversity of the GridWise Alliance continues to grow further demonstrating that the development of a smart grid is a truly collaborative effort."
The GridWise Alliance was founded in 2003. The Alliance advocates a vision of an electric system that integrates the infrastructure, processes, devices, information and market structure so that energy can be generated, distributed, and consumed more efficiently and cost effectively; thereby achieving a more resilient, secure and reliable energy system. Its members include utilities, IT companies, equipment vendors, new technology providers and educational institutions.
Current members of the GridWise Alliance include: ABB, Accenture, Aegis Technologies, Alcatel-Lucent, Ambient Corporation, American Electric Power, Arcadian Networks, AREVA-T&D, Austin Energy, Autodesk, BC Hydro, Beacon Power Corp., British Columbia Institute of Technology, Cellnet+Hunt, CenterPoint Energy, Cisco, CMEA Ventures, Computer Sciences Corporation, Con Edison, Constellation Energy, Consumers Energy Company, Cooper Power Systems, Current, Duke Energy, Eka Systems, Electricite de France, Elster Integrated Solutions, Energy Insights, EnergySolve, EnerNex Corporation, Environmental System Research Institute, Florida State University, GE, GridPoint, Inc., Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Institute of Electric Power Engineering, Itron, KEMA Consulting, Lockheed Martin, MainNet Communications, Microsoft Corporation, Midwest ISO, Milsof Utilities Solutions, National Grid, Open Systems International, Optimal Technologies International, Progress Energy, Public Service Electric and Gas Company, PJM Interconnection, RockPort Capital Partners, RuggedCom, SAIC, SAP, Sempra Energy, SensorTran, Inc., Serveron Corporation, Siemens Power Transmission & Distribution , Site Controls, SmartSynch, Solar Integrated Technologies, Telvent, Tendril Networks, Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), Tollgrade Communications, Utilities Telecom Council, VELCO, Washington State University, and ZIV USA, Inc.
"In recent months energy issues have been on the minds of many Americans. With passage of the energy bill in 2007, Congress recognized the need for us to produce and consume energy more efficiently. One of the actions they proposed is the deployment of a smart grid," remarks Terry Mohn, vice chair of the GridWise Alliance, and Technology Strategist/Enterprise Architect with San Diego Gas & Electric. "The GridWise Alliance and its members have been advocating on behalf of a smart grid for over five years. We are happy to have these new members as part of the Alliance and we look forward to working with them as we continue our efforts to create a 21st century electricity grid."
GridWise Alliance members will be gathering at the upcoming GridWeek 2008, September 22-25, in Washington, D.C. This annual meeting of U.S. electricity grid thought leaders will examine smart grid successes, its role in carbon reduction, alternative distributed generation, and the implementation of the Energy Act of 2007. For more information on GridWeek 2008 visit www.gridweek.com.
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