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Smart Grid Interoperability Panel Launched; Governing Board Elected

DENVER--The inaugural meeting of the Smart Grid Interoperability Panel (SGIP), a new stakeholder forum to provide technical support to the Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) as it coordinates standards for a modernized electric power system, concluded today with election of 20 members to its governing board.

Established by NIST with the assistance of EnerNex, under a contact enabled by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the new consensus-driven organization provides an open process for businesses and other stakeholder groups to participate in coordinating and accelerating development of standards for the evolving Smart Grid.

Starting with an initial membership of more than 370 organizations spread among 22 stakeholder categories, the SGIP has three primary functions:

  • Provide technical guidance to facilitate development of standards for a secure, interoperable Smart Grid;
  • Specify testing and certification requirements necessary to assess the interoperability Smart Grid-related equipment, software, and services; and
  • Oversee the performance of activities intended to expedite the development of interoperability and cyber security specifications by standards development organizations.

Launched on Monday with the membership's ratification of the charter and by-laws, the SGIP will help NIST continue accelerated efforts to carry out responsibilities assigned to the agency by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. The act calls on NIST to "coordinate the development of a framework that includes protocols and model standards for information management to achieve interoperability of smart grid devices and systems."

NIST is now completing its Framework and Roadmap for Smart Grid Interoperability Standards, Release 1.0, which has undergone public review and comment. The SGIP will further strengthen this roadmapping effort in collaboration with NIST.

The Smart Grid is a vital component of President Obama's comprehensive energy plan, which aims to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil, create jobs and help U.S. industry compete successfully in global markets for clean energy technology. On Oct. 27, the President announced awards for 100 Smart Grid Projects across the nation. Funded by the Department of Energy, the federal investment of $3.4 billion was matched by $4.7 billion in commitments from project participants.

"The panel will ensure that the perspectives of the many diverse constituencies—from utility to consumer and from appliance manufacturer to wind or solar farm—are represented in decision-making on standards needed to achieve the Smart Grid vision," said George Arnold, NIST's national coordinator for Smart Grid interoperability. "It will provide an open, consensus-based process for stakeholder participation."

The governing board prioritizes the work of the SGIP, and it will consult regularly with standards development organizations, user groups and others directly involved in standardization efforts. The board will coordinate resources necessary to carry out finalized SGIP action plans in efficient and effective manner.

Members in 17 of the 22 SGIP stakeholder categories elected a representative to the governing board. Because of a tie, a run-off election will be held for the board seat in the stakeholder category representing "standards and specification development organizations." There were no candidates in several categories, and they will be filled at a later date.

In addition, the entire membership voted on three at-large board members. The full list of newly elected governing board members can be found below .

Yet to be named, the chairpersons of two standing committees—Smart Grid Architecture and Testing and Certification—will be added to the governing board. Vacancies in these and five of the stakeholder categories will be filled later, for a total of 27 voting members in all. Arnold will participate as a non-voting ex-officio member.

Founded in 1901, NIST is a nonregulatory agency of the Commerce Department that promotes U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards and technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve our quality of life.

Category

Stakeholder Category

Winner

Organization

Category 1

Appliance and consumer electronics providers

Brian Markwalter

Consumer Electronics Association

Category 2

Commercial and Industrial equipment manufacturers and automation vendors

Tariq Samad

Honeywell

Category 3

Consumers – Residential, Commercial, and Industrial

Todd Rytting

Panasonic Electric Works Laboratory of America

Category 4

Electric transportation industry Stakeholders

* open *

 

Category 5

Electric utility companies – Investor Owned Utilities (IOU) and Publicly Owned Utilities

George Bjelovuk

American Electric Power

Category 6

Electric utility companies—Municipal (MUNI)

* open *

 

Category 7

Electric utility companies—Rural Electric Association (REA)

Bob Saint

National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA)

Category 8

Electricity and financial market traders (includes aggregators)

* open *

 

Category 9

Independent power producers

Kenneth Van Meter

Lockheed Martin's Energy Solutions

Category 10

Information and communication technologies (ICT) Infrastructure and Service Providers

Matthew Theall

Intel Corporation

Category 11

Information technology (IT) application developers and integrators

Vint Cerf

Google, Inc.

Category 12

Power equipment manufacturers and vendors

Le Tang

ABB Inc.

Category 13

Professional societies, users groups, trade associations and industry consortia

Wayne Longcore

Consumers Energy

Category 14

R&D organizations and academia

Mladen Kezunovic

Texas A&M University

Category 15

Relevant Federal Government Agencies

Perry Pederson

Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)

Category 16

Renewable Power Producers

John Nunneley

SunSpec Alliance

Category 17

Retail Service Providers

Brent Hodges

Reliant Energy

Category 18

Standards and specification development organizations (SDOs)

TIEJohn Caskey

Katherine Voss

National Electrical Manufacturers Assoc. (NEMA)

 ODVA, Inc.

Category19

State and local regulators

Paul Centolella

Public Utility Commission of Ohio

Category20

Testing and Certification Vendors

Rik Drummond

Drummond Group Inc.

Category21

Transmission operators and Independent System Operators

Jamshid Afnan

ISO New England, Inc.

Category22

Venture Capital

* open *

 

Category 23 - At large

 

John McDonald

Paul De Martini

Mark McGranaghan

GE Energy

Southern California Edison

Electric Power Research Institute

 

Released November 19, 2009, Updated February 1, 2023