National Smart Grid Conference Set for April
The nation's top thinkers on energy efficiency and Smart Grid technology will gather next month in Spokane, Washington for the the most important energy conference of the year and a chance to participate in the historic rethinking of our local and national energy policies.
This unprecedented National Smart Grid Conference will be held at the Spokane Convention Center on April 6th and 7th, 2009.
Major speakers include U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell from Washington, Commissioner Phil Moeller from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Steve Wright from the Bonneville Power Administration, a top U.S. Department of Energy official and leading state officials from across the west.
This innovative conference will develop national and regional recommendations to guide the $11-plus billion dollar federal smart grid investment, our nation's new energy policies and regional demonstration projects.
Why? The electric power grid lights your streets, heats your home, runs your computer, and recharges your batteries, but traditional power plants and transmission lines are aging, subject to blackouts and incapable of keeping up with growing demand.
Smart Grid will transform the power grid, using new technology to reduce the cost of using and delivering electricity, integrate clean renewable energy such as wind and solar power, communicate interactively to respond to changes in supply and demand, create new green jobs, give consumers and businesses more control over their energy use, and improve the reliability and efficiency of the entire power grid system.
Working closely with smart grid stakeholders, Senator Cantwell was the primary author of the Smart Grid Title of the 2007 Energy Bill. In addition, Sen. Cantwell's legislation providing for accelerated depreciation of smart meters and smart grid equipment, first introduced in 2001, was enacted into law in October 2008. Sen. Cantwell will give a keynote speech at the Smart Grid conference on April 7th.
Sponsors include Itron, Microsoft, Areva, Tacoma Public Utilities, Chelan PUD, Patton Boggs, Bonneville Power Administration, Arcadian Networks, Avista, Grays Harbor Paper, Infinia, Greater Spokane Chamber of Commerce and Topia Technologies.
http://www.nationalsmartgridconference.com/
SOURCE: National Smart Grid Conference