The KU Environmental Engineering Conference provides the latest information on relevant topics and projects in environmental engineering. Concurrent sessions will consist of technical presentations on water supply and wastewater treatment, water quality, and air and waste management.
http://www.continuinged.ku.edu/programs/environmental/index.php
· Current status of REM and Smart Grid technologies
· Consumer interest in REM solutions
· Engaging the consumer: Strategies and tactics to communicate benefits successfully
· Leveraging applications: Think energy ….and more
· Impact of government stimulus and green initiatives
· Technical and business requirements for succeeding in REM
· Business strategies for utilities, manufacturers, installers, and service providers
· Unit and revenue forecasts for Smart Meters and REM residential solutions
http://www.parksassociates.com/events/energysummit/index.html
GAITHERSBURG, Md.—The Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) issued today an initial list of standards, a preliminary cyber security strategy, and other elements of a framework to support transforming the nation’s aging electric power system into an interoperable Smart Grid, a key component of the Obama administration’s energy plan and its strategy for American innovation.
NIST Director Patrick Gallagher announced the publication of the NIST Framework and Roadmap for Smart Grid Interoperability Standards, Release 1.0, to the some 700 engineers, scientists, and business and government executives attending the IEEE Innovative Smart Technologies Conference, which NIST is hosting.
The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA) set development of the Smart Grid as a national policy goal, and it assigned NIST the “primary responsibility to coordinate development of a framework that includes protocols and model standards for information management to achieve interoperability of Smart Grid devices and systems …”
“This is an important milestone for NIST, for the entire community of Smart Grid stakeholders, and for the nation,” Gallagher said. “This first installment of the Smart Grid interoperability framework will pay dividends to our nation for decades to come. Just as Congress intended, we are building a foundation for sustainable growth and future prosperity.”
By integrating digital computing and communication technologies and services with the power-delivery infrastructure, the Smart Grid will enable bidirectional flows of energy and two-way communication and control capabilities. A range of new applications and capabilities will result. Anticipated benefits range from real-time consumer control over energy usage to significantly increased reliance on solar and other sources of clean renewable energy to greatly improve reliability, flexibility and efficiency of the entire grid.
The new report presents the first release of a Smart Grid interoperability framework and roadmap for its further development. It contains:
· a conceptual reference model to facilitate design of an architecture for the Smart Grid overall and for its networked domains;
· an initial set of 75 standards identified as applicable to the Smart Grid;
· priorities for additional standards—revised or new—to resolve important gaps;
· action plans under which designated standards-setting organizations will address these priorities; and
· an initial Smart Grid cyber security strategy and associated requirements.
A draft of today’s report was issued on Sept. 24, 2009, for public review and comments. More than 80 individuals and organizations submitted comments. A companion draft document, NISTIR 7628, Smart Grid Cyber Security Strategy and Requirements, also underwent public review. A subsequent draft of the cyber security strategy, which will include responses to comments received and will incorporate new information prepared by the almost 300-member cyber security working group, will be issued in February. NIST intends to finalize the Smart Grid cyber security in late spring.
Under EISA, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is charged with instituting rulemaking proceedings, and once sufficient consensus is achieved, adopting the standards and protocols necessary to ensure Smart Grid functionality and interoperability in interstate transmission of electric power and in regional and wholesale electricity markets. However, some of the standards listed in the NIST report are still under development and some others, such as those already used voluntarily by industry, may not warrant adoption by FERC or other regulators.
“NIST is working closely with FERC and state utility regulators so that we can coordinate development of additional technical information on individual standards to support their evaluation and potential use for regulatory purposes,” said George Arnold, NIST’s national coordinator for Smart Grid interoperability.
In November 2009, NIST launched a Smart Grid Interoperability Panel (SGIP) to assist NIST in carrying out its EISA-assigned responsibility, including working with regulatory bodies on evaluating and implementing standards in this and subsequent releases of the NIST interoperability framework.
A public-private partnership, the SGIP is designed to provide “a more permanent process” to support the evolution of the interoperability framework and further development of standards, according to the report. With NIST, the report explains, the panel will “identify and address additional gaps, assess changes in technology and associated requirements for standards, and provide ongoing coordination” of standards organizations’ efforts to support timely availability of needed Smart Grid standards.
Over the past two months, almost 500 organizations have joined the SGIP. A total of 1,350 individuals from membership organizations have signed up to participate in the panel’s technical activities.
A copy of the NIST Framework and Roadmap for Smart Grid Interoperability Standards, Release 1.0, can be downloaded here: http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/releases/smartgrid_interoperability_final.pdf
Comments on the draft report can be found here: http://collaborate.nist.gov/twiki-sggrid/bin/view/SmartGrid/IKBFramework
To learn more about the SGIP, go to: http://collaborate.nist.gov/twiki-sggrid/bin/view/SmartGrid.SGIP
http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/releases/smartgrid_011910.html
The World Future Energy Summit has gained the support of some of the world’s leading businesses, who are joining Masdar and Abu Dhabi in demonstrating their commitment to developing a sustainable future energy supply, as Abu Dhabi’s position as a global hub for renewable energy grows.
Hosted by Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s multi-billion dollar cooperative future energy initiative, the Summit has attracted sponsorship from Deutsche Bank Climate Change Advisors, the principal sponsor for the 2010 event. Emirates Aluminium is Associate sponsor and additional sponsors include BP Alternative Energy, Standard Chartered, Siemens, Schneider Electric, Exxon Mobil, ABB, Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority, Oxy, Abu Dhabi Department of Municipality Affairs and Terna.
The World Future Energy Summit has rapidly become one of the globe’s foremost meetings in the world of renewable energy. The event represents a platform for the global alternative energy industry to further new initiatives, technologies and policies, and reinforces Abu Dhabi’s contribution to the global renewable energy industry.
For the third year running, Standard Chartered Bank will host the Standard Chartered Future Theatre showcase, bringing together worldwide renewable energy experts to discuss the most recent and significant innovations of the sector. Discussions linked to the energy economy, cross-border M&A or solar in the Middle East will be a part of the program.
BP will host the Carbon Theatre which will be led by Katrina Landis, Group Vice President of BP Alternative Energy. Theatre audiences will hear leading experts from BP and high level speakers from around the world discussing the critical issues of carbon capture and storage and how it can reduce global carbon emissions. Speakers at the Carbon Theatre include Paul Bryant, Director of HPAD, Ernie Moniz, Director of MIT Energy Initiative, Graeme Sweeney Executive Vice President of Shell for future fuels and CO2 and Jeff Chapman, Chief Executive of the Carbon Capture and Storage Association.
http://www.worldfutureenergysummit.com/home.aspx
January 15, 2010
GAITHERSBURG, Md.—The Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announced today that John D. McDonald, general manager of marketing for GE Energy’s transmission and distribution business and an IEEE Fellow, will serve as chair of the governing board of the Smart Grid Interoperability Panel, the organization launched by NIST in November to sustain and coordinate development of interoperability standards for a modernized electric power grid.
The unanimous choice of governing board members, McDonald will serve as the board’s chief spokesperson and will have primary responsibility for organizing its meetings and activities. As required by the SGIP bylaws, McDonald’s selection to lead the board was confirmed by George Arnold, NIST’s national coordinator for Smart Grid interoperability.
The board also chose John F. Caskey, senior director of the Power Equipment Division at the National Electrical Manufacturers Association, to be vice chair and George Bjelovuk, managing director for marketing, research, and program development at American Electric Power, to serve as secretary. All three officers will serve one-year terms.
NIST established the SGIP, which now has more than 450 participating and observing member organizations, to help it fulfill its Smart Grid responsibilities under the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act. The governing board manages and coordinates the technical efforts of the SGIP. In turn, the SGIP is both a forum for discussing Smart Grid technical issues and a vehicle for inter-organizational collaboration to respond to these issues and to address emerging requirements for Smart Grid standards.
On Jan. 19, NIST intends to issue its Framework and Roadmap for Smart Grid Interoperability Standards, Release 1.0. Incorporating responses to comments during public review of a draft document released on Sept. 24, 2009, this report identifies a group of standards applicable to the ongoing development of the Smart Grid, specifies an initial set of high-priority gaps requiring updated or entirely new standards, and describes progress in developing a cyber security strategy for the Smart Grid.
Under the guidance of the governing board, the SGIP will help NIST to extend this initial set of interoperability and cyber security standards. This set will make up a fraction of the total number of standards ultimately needed to build an advanced power grid that will integrate many varieties of digital computing and communication technologies and services with the power-delivery infrastructure.
“NIST is delighted that that these high-caliber individuals have volunteered to fill the leadership positions on the SGIP Governing Board,” Arnold said. “We are grateful to John McDonald and his fellow officers for investing their talent, time and energy to guide the SGIP in helping the nation transform its electricity infrastructure."
“I’m invigorated by the challenge of helping so many committed energy industry leaders work together to frame the infrastructure that will power our planet for generations to come,” McDonald said. “Defining our standards will hasten the development of ever-improving solutions and help American innovation set the worldwide standard for Smart Grid efficiency, reliability and performance.”
Now numbering 23 members, the SGIP Governing Board will grow to 27 members after an election to fill four open slots is held later this month. The governing board is elected by representatives of the SGIP’s more than 400 participating-member organizations, which are divided among 22 categories of Smart Grid stakeholders.
At its first meeting in December 2009, the board appointed Steve Widergren, a principal engineer at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, as the SGIP’s plenary chair. In this capacity, Widergren will preside over meetings of the entire SGIP.
More information about the NIST Smart Grid program is available at www.nist.gov/smartgrid. For more information on the SGIP, go to http://collaborate.nist.gov/twiki-sggrid/bin/view/SmartGrid.SGIP.
http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/releases/smartgrid_011510.html
GREEN STREET JOURNAL
Top Ten Select Smart Grid Firms
January 3, 2010
Written by Editor, in Green Business, Green News, Smart Grid
Smart Grid is on the rise, especially with governments and corporations trying to be more efficient and cut down on costs and create jobs.
1. Silver Spring Networks
2. Itron
3. Echelon
4. Tendril
5. General Electric
6. eMeter
7. EnerNOC
8. Austin Energy
9. IBM
10. NKG Insulators
http://www.gsjournal.com/2010/01/top-ten-select-smart-grid-firms/
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It is always a pleasant surprise to be listed as a top leader in our industry. As the first smart grid deployed in the US, it makes sense to be even listed with leading smart grid vendors. Our work on this industry has been pushing the innovation edge for many years.
Todd Woody |
New York Times |
January 5, 2010 |
PR Newswire An Indiana facility may become the American manufacturing hub for the Think City electric car. Think, the Norwegian electric carmaker, said on Tuesday that it will open its first American assembly plant in Elkhart, Ind. The Think City, a battery-powered, two-seat hatchback, is set to begin rolling off the Indiana assembly line in early 2011, ramping up to a potential annual production of 20,000 cars by 2013. Think said it will spend more than $43 million to upgrade the Elkhart factory, which is expected to eventually employ more than 400 workers. About 1,500 of the plastic-bodied cars are already on the street in Europe, and Think will begin selling the City in the United States later this year. The car will be imported from a Finland assembly plant until the Indiana factory opens in a former recreational vehicle factory. Think’s investment in the Indiana facility depends in part on securing a United States Department of Energy loan guarantee to finance the project, according to Richard Canny, Think’s chief executive. “Our plan is based around the D.O.E. loan,” Mr. Canny said in a telephone interview on Tuesday. “If that didn’t happen we would be looking at a slower and shallower investment plan.” Think has not disclosed the amount of the loan it is seeking. Indiana was one of several states vying for the Think assembly plant. Tax incentives offered by Indiana and Elkhart’s proximity to automotive suppliers in neighboring Michigan helped clinch the deal, according Mr. Canny. “We thought they had a great vision for developing an industrial base around electric transport, of creating the Silicon Valley of electric transportation,” he said. It also helped that Ener1, Think’s biggest shareholder and battery supplier, is headquartered in Indiana. “The battery is the most significant cost of the car and you don’t want to have to ship it around the country,” said Mr. Canny. Think, which also counts General Electric and the Silicon Valley venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers as investors, plans to sell the City in the United States for about $30,000 after incentives. The car has a range of about 112 miles and the American version of the City will have a top speed of at least 70 miles an hour, according to Think. Mr. Canny said Think will initially target about five markets in the United States, including the San Francisco Bay Area. The selection of the Indiana site comes as Think resumes production of the City in Europe after emerging from bankruptcy protection last August. The company subsequently shuttered its Norwegian assembly plant and contracted with Finland’s Valmet Automotive to produce the City. |
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It is awesome to see the mid-west remake with clean tech at the center. The American Renaissance is in the making. Smart Grid, Electric Cars, Energy Storage, and Smart Devices everywhere. The electrification of our economy goes from 75% to 100% in the next 20 years. In that journey the US reinvents work and life paradigms while dominating the 21st century. May you live in exciting times.
It's time to recognize the inherent CIO paradox and start fighting back.
By Martha Heller
December 23, 2009
Ten years ago, I started asking CIOs a question: When you walked into your job, what did you find? The answer, roughly 90 percent of the time: "I inherited a mess. The IT organization had major delivery problems and no credibility with the business." A decade later, I am getting the same answer. How can this be? Is every CIO I have ever spoken to an idiot? Or, more plausibly, is there something so inherently problematic about the CIO role that even the most talented and experienced leaders have trouble making it work?
Few would argue that your role suffers from inherent contradictions: business acumen versus technology skills, operational fixation versus strategic ambitions, innovation versus cost containment, enterprise responsibility versus siloed demands, and ultimately, accountability versus disempowerment. These contradiction form a "CIO paradox" that is deeply embedded in governance, staffing models, executive expectations, budgeting, even the titles that IT leaders hold.
The CIO paradox can be as profound as this: Bad technology can bring a company to its knees, yet corporate boards rarely employ CIOs as directors. It can be as pragmatic as the perennial conflict between risk mitigation and product innovation. Certainly it will take more than one column to tease out these elements and tap CIOs on how to attack, reverse or neutralize them. Watch this space over the coming year as I join forces with the CIO Executive Council and broader leadership community to help fight back against the CIO paradox and level the playing field for IT success and the positive evolution of the CIO role.
For now, I offer one element of the CIO paradox and an intriguing way to overcome it.
Move beyond enablement
Scott McKay, CIO of Genworth Financial, describes the paradox this way: "Many CIOs see their role as an enabler to their business peers," he says. "But precisely because they are enabling business results, rather than driving them, they are not perceived as highly strategic to the management team."
In fact, many CIOs regularly proclaim with great pride that they have no "IT" projects at all, only "business" projects. "The traditional CIO education includes a number of IT governance practices that instruct the CIO not to champion any initiatives and to always have a business sponsor," says McKay. "But unless CIOs get comfortable stepping beyond those traditional IT governance paradigms and take leadership of business initiatives, they will never have as much impact as a sales leader with accountability for a new product."
Specifically, McKay says CIOs should step out of the enablement shadows and become the competitive capabilities expert. "Generally, a business needs only a few differentiating capabilities to be competitive," says McKay. "With his or her access to processes and data, the CIO has the unique ability to baseline business capabilities and to identify which of these need to outperform the competition." If CIOs can harness this powerful data and process perspective to become their company's competitive capabilities expert, they will be better positioned to drive strategy. "This is an incredible opportunity for CIOs," says McKay. "Some will take it and some won’t."
Over the years, we've called it many things: demonstrating IT value, business and IT alignment, and we've probably used a few phrases not appropriate for print. This year, let's call it the CIO paradox. But whatever we call it, it's hurting our enterprises, holding back our teams and threatening the Future-State CIO. If we are ever going to move past it, we need to get started.
http://www.cio.com/article/511568/How_IT_is_Set_Up_to_Fail
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My friend Martha Heller makes some great points in this article. And Scott McKay makes a good case for another CIO value label toward becoming a strategic partner in the company. “The Competitive Capabilities Expert”. I like it.
The key to all this is the fact that CIOs are operational experts that manage innovation via a creation, transition, operation, and optimization framework that requires a balance between affordability, convenience, speed and security. The CIO should never report to the CFO, CAO, nor to any-cost centric or shared services c-level. The CIO should only report to the CEO or in the very worst case to the COO. The CIO should drive the top-line while maintaining the bottom line from growing. The CIO manages data and processes around it. Data and the Processes around it are the ultimate competitive weapons in any business. That is the key.
Furthermore, you can only reduce your costs to zero from your starting point – a limited domain. On the other hand, you can increase revenues to infinity while containing costs; hence, increasing the bottom line as well consistently. That is the real issue, in my opinion and after 23 years of experience. So, is your CIO focus on growing the top line or just reducing costs? Or both?
By Warren Causey
