Smart Grid Summit Update

Our last update about the summit was two months ago, and the accompanying press release outlined the state of the program at that time. We’ve certainly added a lot since, and most of the program is now in place. There will be more speakers and keynotes coming, and we are actively exploring several new industry and media partnerships, so you can expect to see at least one more update article here on the portal before October comes around. The most noteworthy updates to share right now are as follows:

*Utilities are slowly being added to the roster. Most recently, we have lined up Lee Krevat from San Diego Gas & Electric, and he’ll be keynoting about some very timely issues, especially pertaining to the California energy market. We also have Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD), LA Department of Water and Power, and California Independent System Operator Corporation (CAISO) on panels, along with the California Public Utility Commission. We expect to be adding a number of others in the coming weeks.

*On the vendor side, we have added several new speakers, namely Grid Net, Cisco, Frog Design, Current Group, Better Place, Home Jinni and People Power. Complementing the vendors, we have speakers from UC-Berkeley School of Law and the Electronic Frontier Foundation on the issue of data privacy, and Intel Capital for the VC/startup showcase session.

*In terms of industry groups represented at the summit, joining the USNAP Alliance and SIP Forum, we now have ZWave Alliance, GridWise Alliance and the Secure Smart Grid Association.

*From the telecom space, joining Verizon Business, we now have Sprint Nextel and PAETEC Energy, who will provide a different perspective on how CLECs can enter the energy marketplace.

*Another important form of partnership comes from industry groups either inside or outside of energy, or active in smart grid and/or clean tech in other regions. For the former, we have just firmed up a relationship with USTA, which will give us extensive exposure to the broader telecom sector. Based on participation on a recent USTA webinar, we are well aware of the unprecedented interest their members are showing in smart grid, and our summit will be an ideal opportunity for them to learn and network first-hand. We are on a similar path with GridWise Alliance, and you should be seeing support for our events on each other’s websites very soon.

*Outside the U.S., we have just put two partnerships together with China, in the form of the China International Smart Grid Forum, and the SMARTricity Asia Congress. Several others are in the works with China, Korea and Japan, and we expect to have positive news on all these very shortly. Given the relative proximity of Los Angeles to these markets, we anticipate strong support for our summit, both in attendance and speaking on the program.

Adding to this, our 2010 Excellence Awards Program was just launched, and based on the response we got last time, we anticipate an extensive group of entries. Not only is our industry profile much greater now, but the submission criteria are – by design – broader than the first awards program. This is to reflect the emphasis our program has on innovation, and in our view, this can come from almost anywhere – inside or outside the traditional boundaries of energy.

We are continuing to actively pursue both speakers and industry partnerships, and what makes our summit distinct is the fact we’re drawing from household names as well as up and coming voices. The more my research efforts delve in smart grid/smart home, the broader the palette becomes, and it’s clear to us that the interest level in having all these perspectives in one place is very high. We’re excited about the quality of our program, and with every addition going forward, there will be more reasons for you to attend. To keep totally up to date, I strongly suggest you subscribe to our eNewsletter – it just takes a moment to register, and after that, you won’t miss a thing. And don’t forget, the Early Bird offer ends in about two weeks – August 4 – so register now and save $200!