NIST Announces Smart Grid Workshop

WASHINGTON – The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will continue to help develop a smart electrical grid when it holds on April 28-29, in Reston, Va., the first in a series of workshops aimed at defining the standards that will help make the Smart Grid a reality.

A Smart Grid would employ the Internet and other real-time, two-way digital communication technologies on the nation's electricity grid. The system would allow consumers to save money on their energy costs, reduce America's dependence on foreign oil and create clean energy jobs.

The workshop attendees will review and comment on high-level principles to standardize Smart Grid technologies and applications so that they are able to communicate with each other and work together to optimize energy efficiency and service reliability.

Attendees will include stakeholders from industry, consumer groups and other interested entities.

A nationwide Smart Grid is a high priority for the Obama Administration in its plans to move the nation toward energy independence. The recently passed American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) contains investments critical to spurring the Smart Grid development process, with the Department of Energy leading the federal effort.

NIST organized this workshop with assistance from the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). Stakeholders will use the results of this workshop, along with other information previously gathered, to draft findings and recommendations for a standards roadmap at a second workshop on May 19-20. The location of the second workshop is yet to be determined.

Both workshops are free and open to the public.

WHAT: Smart Grid Interoperability Standards Interim Roadmap Workshop

WHEN: April 28-29, 2009

WHERE:
Hyatt Regency Reston
1800 Presidents St.
Reston, VA, 20190
(703) 709-1234

REGISTER: http://guest.cvent.com/EVENTS/Info/Summary.aspx?e=4d348728-60af-44ae-be74-9c279eb2c002

Media Contacts:
Mark Bello, NIST
(301) 975-3776
mark.bello [at] nist.gov (mark[dot]bello[at]nist[dot]gov)

Clay C. Perry, EPRI
(202) 293-6184
clperry [at] epri.com (clperry[at]epri[dot]com)