Andres Carvallo & Three Other IEEE Smart Grid Experts Among FierceEnergy’s “Top 15 Most Influential People in Energy”

Andres Carvallo, Dick DeBlasio, Erich Gunther, and John McDonald recognized for their achievements in advancing Smart Grid development and deployment

PISCATAWAY, N.J., USA, 30 November, 2011 – IEEE, the world's largest professional association advancing technology for humanity, announced today that four of its globally recognized Smart Grid experts have been named to FierceEnergy Magazine's "15 Most Influential People in Energy" list. IEEE Life Member Dick DeBlasio, IEEE Fellows Erich Gunther and John McDonald, and IEEE Computer Society member, Andres Carvallo are among the individuals singled out by the publication as having the greatest amount of influence in the energy industry during 2011.

"IEEE is home to the world's foremost Smart Grid innovators and experts – talented individuals dedicated to and responsible for architecting inspired, effective solutions that will carry us into a new generation of intelligent power generation, transmission, and distribution. Without their invaluable contributions, we would be without many of the meaningful Smart Grid milestones achieved to-date," said Wanda Reder, chair, IEEE Smart Grid, and vice president Power Systems Services at S&C Electric Company. "We congratulate Dick, Erich, John, and Andres on this honor, and thank them and all IEEE volunteers for their dedicated efforts in making the Smart Grid a reality."

Individuals named to the inaugural FierceEnergy list were selected by the publication based on a diverse array of factors, including industry nominations and recommendations, regulatory influence, business acumen, leadership, and technical expertise. Each of the four IEEE experts selected has had demonstrable impact upon the creation and deployment of the rapidly emerging Smart Grid.

Dick DeBlasio, an IEEE Life Member, IEEE 2030 Working Group chair, and a member of the IEEE Standards Association (IEEE-SA) Board of Governors, is also the chief engineer and principle laboratory program manager for electricity programs with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. As working group chair for IEEE 2030, he was a driving force behind delivering its interoperability reference and knowledge base. The world's first system-of-systems, the foundational standard was created from the ground-up to ensure Smart Grid interconnection and interoperability.

Co-founder, chairman, and chief technology officer of EnerNex, Erich Gunther is an IEEE Fellow, as well as a member of the IEEE Smart Grid Task Force, chairman of the IEEE Power & Energy Society's (PES) Intelligent Grid Coordinating Committee, and an IEEE PES Governing Board member. He has focused on establishing a collaborative environment for the utility community to come together and develop broad requirements for grid modernization in a disciplined, traceable, and defensible way.

John McDonald, P.E., is an IEEE Fellow, a member of the IEEE-SA Board of Governors, IEEE PES Past President, as well as director, technical strategy and policy development at GE Energy's Digital Energy business. He pioneered the definition of Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs), as part of IEEE Std. C37.1, and the concept of their two types of data – operational and non-operational, which has been widely adopted by electric utilities and become a key Smart Grid component. Additionally, by providing detailed insight on how to manage these different data types, he has enabled utilities to realize considerably greater benefits from investments made in IEDs.

Andres Carvallo, IEEE Computer Society and IEEE Power and Energy Society member and Proximetry Inc. executive vice president and chief strategy officer, is recognized as a leading Smart Grid pioneer and innovator. Co-author of "The Advanced Smart Grid", he leveraged his expertise while overseeing the first end-to-end Smart Grid deployment in the U.S at Austin Energy from 2003 -  2009. He also helped establish the Pecan Street Project in 2008, a living Smart Grid lab designed to foster emerging technologies for residential and commercial use.

For FierceEnergy's complete roster of the 15 Most Influential People in Energy, please visit http://www.fierceenergy.com/slideshow/power-players-15-most-influential-people-energy.

Additional IEEE Smart Grid experts from around the world will be speaking during the second European conference and exhibition on Innovative Smart Grid Technologies (ISGT-EUROPE 2011), sponsored by the IEEE Power & Energy Society and hosted by the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at The University of Manchester. Full details about the conference, which is being held in Manchester, England 5-7, December 2011, can be found at http://www.ieee-isgt-2011.eu/.

For more information on IEEE Smart Grid efforts, follow @ieeesmartgrid on Twitter, or join the IEEE Smart Grid group on LinkedIn at http://linkd.in/udDFqG.

About IEEE
IEEE, the world's largest technical professional association, is dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity. Through its highly cited publications, conferences, technology standards, and professional and educational activities, IEEE is the trusted voice on a wide variety of areas ranging from aerospace systems, computers and telecommunications to biomedical engineering, electric power and consumer electronics. Learn more at http://www.ieee.org.

Andres Carvallo Named One of The 15 Most Influential People in Energy

They have shaped the technology we call the smart grid. They have the ear of energy regulators. They lead customers through the often confusing and ever changing world of energy and smart grid. And they shape the discussions we have about energy. In alphabetical order, they are all power players in their own right -- whether because of the breadth, depth and years of experience they bring to the industry or their status as an up and comer to keep a close eye on. These are the individuals who have been the most influential in energy in 2011.

This list is a serious compilation of individuals based on many factors ranging from industry nominations and recommendations to regulatory influence and those with business savvy, leadership and technical expertise.

I have to admit that it was difficult to narrow the list to 15. You may find that some of your picks are absent. This is not an indication that they are not an industry power player. As this is an annual list, the players may certainly change from year to year. Please email me if you have a recommendation for a power player who is not on the list and why you would recommend them. --Barb

Read more: Power Players -- The 15 Most Influential People in Energy - FierceEnergy http://www.fierceenergy.com/slideshow/power-players-15-most-influential-people-energy#ixzz1f23jSD9W

Power Players -- The 15 Most Influential People in Energy

§  Ron Ambrosio, Global Research Leader, Energy & Utilities Industry, IBM Research

§  Guido Bartels, General Manager, Global Energy & Utilities Industry, IBM; Chairman, Global Smart Grid Federation

§  Andres Carvallo, Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer, Proximetry; Co-author of "The Advanced Smart Grid"

§  John Cooper, President, Ecomergence; Co-author, "The Advanced Smart Grid"

§  Dick DeBlasio, Principle Laboratory Program Manager for Electricity Programs, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, U.S. DOE

§  Eric Dresselhuys, Executive Vice President, Silver Spring Networks

§  Patty Durand, Executive Director, Smart Grid Consumer Collaborative

§  Connie Durcsak, President and CEO, Utilities Telecom Council

§  Dave Elve, Vice President, Sensus

§  Erich Gunther, co-founder and Chief Technology Officer, EnerNex

§  Lee Krevat, Director of Smart Grid, San Diego Gas & Electric

§  John Douglas McDonald, Director, Technical Strategy & Policy Development, GE Digital Energy

§  Ted Reguly, Director of Customer Programs and Assistance, San Diego Gas & Electric

§  Joaquin Silva, President and Chief Executive Officer, On-Ramp Wireless

§  Adrian Tuck, Chief Executive Officer, Tendril

Andres Carvallo and Austin Energy recognized by Energy Central

Energy Central and Intelligent Utility Magazine Wrap Up Knowledge2011 Summit Top utilities recognized for knowledge, innovation, technology, excellence and intelligence.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE— AURORA, Colo. — Nov. 21, 2011 — Knowledge2011 Utility Executive Summit wrapped up last week in Amelia Island, Florida. The summit, presented by Energy Central and Intelligent Utility magazine, joins leaders from top investor-owned, municipally owned and cooperatively owned utilities for two days of interaction and collaboration. Eighty-six of the nation's senior customer service, operations, and information technology executives gathered at this year's summit to share knowledge and strategic insights regarding common challenges. In addition, several were recognized for their outstanding performance and dedication to furthering the industry as a whole. Three electric utility executives took home key industry leadership awards at the 6th annual Knowledge, Innovation, Technology, and Excellence (KITE) Awards gala dinner. Energy Central and Intelligent Utility recognized: Reid V. Nuttall, CIO, OGE Energy Corp, CIO of the Year Paul Lau, Assistant General Manager of Customer, Distribution and Technology, Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD), Operations Leader of the Year Gregory Knight, Division Vice President of Customer Service for Regulated Operations, CenterPoint, Customer Service Leader of the Year "We are pleased to recognize the distinctive leadership of our honorees," said Kate Rowland, editor-in-chief of Intelligent Utility magazine. "The immense talent throughout the industry provided us with some difficult decisions this year, but these three individuals clearly rose above the crowd, moving their companies forward through strategic initiatives, measurable technology efforts, and innovative solutions that have met business results such as high efficiency, greater production, measurement and profitability." Prior to 2010, KITE award winners were categorized as top performers in small (less than 1 million customers) and large (greater than 1 million customers) categories. Previous award winners under that structure include 2007's Robert Arnett, Cobb Energy, and Joe Locandro, CLP Group; 2008's Wanyonyi Kendrick, JEA, and Michael Carlson, Xcel Energy; and 2009's Andres Carvallo, Austin Energy, and Becky Blalock, Southern Company. In addition, James Eitsert, of Northeastern Rural Electric Membership Corp., and Paul De Martini of Advanced Tech, SCE, were recognized in 2008 for small and large utility technical innovation. In 2010, the KITE awards panel changed the structure to better reflect the roles of contributors, calling out the categories of CIO, Operations Leader and Customer Service Leader. Honorees in 2010 were Mashvash Yazdi, CIO, Southern California Edison; Ben LaPianta, Vice President Distribution Grid Management, Toronto Hydro; and Michael Lowe, Associate General Manager, Salt River Project. For more information on the recipients or on the KITE awards, please contact Kate Rowland at 250.227.8938, krowland@energycentral.com or visit: MailFilterGateway has detected a possible fraud attempt from "log.energycentral.com" claiming to be www.knowledgesummits.com/summit-information/kite-awards. In addition, Intelligent Utility magazine in partnership with IDC Energy Insights developed UtiliQ, a unique project that cuts through smart grid hype to measure utilities' progress toward intelligent operation. UtiliQ rated 78 American utilities on operational efficiency, integration of renewables, smart-energy initiatives, demand response/energy efficiency programs and IT investments. For the third straight year, San Diego Gas & Electric topped the UtiliQ survey of electric utilities, making it America's most intelligent utility. Following closely were two top alumni and two newcomers: PG& E Corp., Austin Energy, Pinnacle West Capital Corp., and Edison International. These top five utilities ranked as "Near Genius," with IQs higher than 140. Utilities with IQs ranking between 120 and 140 were categorized as those with "Very Superior Intelligence". Most of 2011's top 25 utilities achieved "Superior Intelligence" ratings, with scores that fall between 110 and 119. "While the smart grid is an exciting project, it generates hype," said Kate Rowland. "The reality is far more outcome-based. UtiliQ measures each utility's progress against five criteria needed for a reliable, affordable and sustainable utility. Scores compute into a three-digit IQ." About Energy Central: Energy Central was founded in 1996 to satisfy the global power industry's need for a reliable, trusted information hub where executives and field representatives alike could share ideas and discuss concepts that could alter the future of electric energy. Energy Central provides groundbreaking research, insightful reports and analytics, advisory services, and original, thought-provoking commentary — in print, online and through well-attended events — on energy-driven topics such as utility business, smart grid, renewable energy, energy storage, transmission and distribution, generation and customer analytics. Media Contact: Kristin Prosowski, 303-782-5510 or marketing@energycentral.com.

Austin Energy ranked #3 in 2011 makes the Top 3 UtiliQ Rankings for the 3rd year in a row

Austin Energy was ranked #2 in 2009 and #2 in 2010.  This award began in 2009.

It is just down right humbling to see the awards to continue to pile on for the great work done from 2003 - 2010 and beyond on smart grid at Austin Energy. This is the 27th major award since 2005 related to the technological transformation that I started in 2003 and led until 2010.  Congratulations to my former colleagues at Austin Energy. Keep it going !!!

IDC Energy Insights and Intelligent Utility Magazine Release 2011 UtiliQ Rankings Designed to Measure Utilities' Progress to Intelligent Energy

Sempra Energy's San Diego Gas & Electric Tops List for Third Consecutive Year


FRAMINGHAM, Mass., November 10, 2011 – IDC Energy Insights and Intelligent Utility magazine, an Energy Central publication today announced the results of the annual UtiliQ rankings – a joint study designed to cut through the smart grid hype and provide benchmarks for measuring the progress utilities are making on the path to intelligent energy. For the third straight year, Sempra Energy's San Diego Gas & Electric is the most intelligent utility in America, according to the annual UtiliQ survey of U.S. electric utilities.

This year, the UtiliQ had the benefit of more comprehensive data sources including SNL Energy, AWEA, SEPA, NREL, FERC, the Consortium of Energy Efficiency, and the IDC Energy Insights Smart Meter tracker. As a result, the 2011 analysis is based on better data on renewable generation, as well as energy efficiency, smart meter implementations, and demand response, at the utilities.

According to the findings, while demand response (DR) programs are not new to the industry, utilities consider demand response a top initiative in the next five years. Those utilities that have had experience with DR programs have built their "intelligence" for the future, and FERC data on DR programs were incorporated in the evaluation process. Dynamic pricing programs were given extra weight as a relatively new form of DR.
"Utilities are continuing to increase their intelligence in some critical areas and we were fortunate to gain greater and more comprehensive access to reliable data on which to base our evaluations. For example, while demand response programs are not new to the industry, we believe demand response to be a top priority in utilities in the next five years so that is reflected in our intelligence ratings," according to Jill Feblowitz, vice president of IDC Energy Insights. "The intelligent utility is steadfastly and thoughtfully re-aligning their objectives, business processes and technology to prepare for the future."

The UtiliQ rated 78 American utilities based on five criteria: operational efficiency, commitment to renewables, smart energy initiatives, demand response/energy efficiency programs, and information technology investments in support of business process improvements. In addition, commitment to sustainability is factored into the results. All but three of the top 25 intelligent utilities received "near genius" scores in smart grid IQ, indicating the importance of smart grid developments for achieving utility intelligence.
The top 5 scoring utilities for the 2011 UtiliQ rankings include:

1. San Diego Gas & Electric
2. PG&E
3. Austin Energy
4. APS
5. Southern California Edison

In addition to the emphasis on demand response, this year's analysis also benefited from having access to more comprehensive and consistent data. Utilities featured in the top five were likely to have more renewables as a percent of generation. Of great benefit, the IDC Energy Insights Smart Meter Tracker data outlined the progress in implementation of smart grid initiatives, especially smart meters, rather than the existence of smart meter plans which, for some utilities, have been put on hold. In addition, this year's ranking took into account more granular data on investments in energy efficiency programs to help identify the most intelligent utilities on the market today.

A complete list of the top 25 utilities can be found on the Intelligent Utility Magazine website www.intelligentutility.com.

For additional information about this study, or to arrange a one-on-one briefing with Jill Feblowitz, please contact Sarah Murray at 781-794-3214 or sarahbethmurray@gmail.com. Reports are available to qualified members of the media. For information on purchasing reports, contact insights@idc.com; reporters should email sarahbethmurray@gmail.com

About IDC Energy Insights
IDC Energy Insights assists energy businesses and IT leaders, as well as the suppliers who serve them, in making more effective technology decisions by providing accurate, timely, and insightful fact-based research and consulting services. Staffed by senior analysts with decades of industry experience, our global research analyzes and advises on business and technology issues facing the utility and oil and gas industries. International Data Corporation (IDC) is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology market. IDC is a subsidiary of IDG, the world’s leading technology, media, research, and events company. For more information, please visit www.idc-ei.com, email info@idc-ei.com, or call 508-935-4400. Visit the IDC Energy Insights Community at http://idc-insights-community.com/energy .

About Energy Central:
Since 1995 Energy Central, based in Aurora, Colorado, has been widely known as the online hub for power industry professionals. With an unparalleled reach into the power industry, the Energy Central community has grown to encompass six web sites, fourteen eNewsletters, two print magazines - Intelligent Utility and EnergyBiz, two monthly webcast series, two highly acclaimed industry events and a strong market research arm, Sierra Energy Group.

Energy Central champions the development of information-enabled energy^TM by facilitating executive level knowledge sharing events as well as management level events where top government and industry officials provide power industry professionals with insights into the future of the power industry. Topic-specific content includes: Grid T&D – Smart Grid and Metering; Generation and Storage for Renewables, Solar, Nuclear, Hydro and Wind; and End-Use - Demand Response and Energy Efficiency. Energy Central — we connect the power industry.

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