GE Energy Calls for Acceleration of Smart Grid
Standards
ATLANTA, May 18, 2009 -- BUSINESS WIRE
GE announced today that Bob Gilligan, vice president of transmission and
distribution for GE Energy, will be one of the select few industry
executives participating in the Smart Grid Leadership Meeting in Washington,
D.C., led by U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu and Commerce Secretary Gary
Locke. Gilligan will discuss how GE is leveraging its global experience in
the energy industry to help lead the development of smart grid standards in
the United States.
"Standardizing technology is vital to ensure cyber-security,
interoperability, reliability and safety for consumers and utilities as the
nation begins implementation of a smarter electrical infrastructure," said
Gilligan. "Unambiguous standards will help speed up innovation as engineers
follow a clear direction for product development and technology advances."
Gilligan continued, "No company, government body or organization alone can
bring about this standardization. We, therefore, must join together to apply
our knowledge and combined experience in achieving this objective--one of
the most important initiatives in the industry."
Sixty executives from utilities, technology providers, trade associations
and standards development organizations will attend and share their visions
for turning the challenge of standards development into a roadmap for
successful smart grid implementation.
As with the Internet, technology and performance standards are vital to a
successful smarter grid, which will enable increased energy efficiency,
provide new jobs, allow for easier integration of renewable power sources
and help consumers and businesses better manage energy costs.
"A smart electricity grid will revolutionize the way we use energy, but we
need standards in place to ensure that all this new technology is compatible
and operating at the highest cyber-security standards to protect the smart
grid from hackers and natural disasters," Locke said during an April 16
press conference.(1)
Background
The Leadership Meeting is one of many standards initiatives GE is actively
participating in. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
has chosen GE to work alongside the Electric Power Research Institute, Inc.
to develop an interim roadmap for determining smart grid architecture and
key standards for the smart grid, with a focus on cyber-security. The
Leadership Conference is a precursor to the NIST Interim Smart Grid
Standards Interoperability Roadmap Summit being held May 19-20. The summit
will focus on identifying all standards needed for the smart grid, standards
priorities, responsibilities and a timeline. GE's world-renowned subject
matter experts will be actively leading and/or participating in all of these
standards projects.
GE had nine industry experts participate in the first summit held April
28-29, covering each of the seven parallel tracks, with objectives around
architecture, evaluating existing standards, consensus on standards to be
endorsed now and identification of issues to be addressed in the future.
About GE Energy
GE Energy (www.ge.com/energy) is one of the world's leading suppliers of
power generation and energy delivery technologies, with 2008 revenue of
$29.3 billion. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, GE Energy works in all areas of
the energy industry including coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear energy;
renewable resources such as water, wind, solar and biogas; and other
alternative fuels. Numerous GE Energy products are certified under
ecomagination, GE's corporate-wide initiative to aggressively bring to
market new technologies that will help customers meet pressing environmental
challenges.
About GE
GE is a diversified global infrastructure, finance and media company that is
built to meet essential world needs. From energy, water, transportation and
health to access to money and information, GE serves customers in more than
100 countries and employs more than 300,000 people worldwide. For more
information, visit the company's Web site at http://www.ge.com. GE is
Imagination at Work.
(1) U.S. Department of Energy. "Vice President Biden Outlines Funding for
Smart Grid Initiatives." http://www.energy.gov/news2009/7282.htm. 16 April
2009.
SOURCE: GE Energy
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