GridWeek Leadership Awards to Recognize Five Innovators for Vision and Contributions to Advancing the Smart Grid

WASHINGTON, Oct. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- A California utility deploying one of the most comprehensive Smart Grid projects in the country; a woman at the forefront of Smart Grid research and collaboration; and one of the founders of the Smart Grid Consumer Collaborative that brings consumers and organizations together to advance Smart Grid deployments are among the five winning individuals and organizations selected to receive this year's GridWeek Leadership Awards.

The GridWeek Leadership Awards, to be presented on Wednesday, October 20, at a celebration hosted at GridWeek 2010 in Washington, D.C., include the:

• Outstanding Leadership in Advancing Smart Grid Award to Erich Gunther of  EnerNex, for his ongoing leadership in Smart Grid standards and promoting industry collaboration;

• Acceleration Award to Sila Kiliccote of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory for her research and work in promoting standards-based secure communications for new Smart Grid demand response applications;  

• Consumer Engagement Award to Susan Cashen of Control4 for her role in the formation of the Smart Grid Consumer Collaborative;

• Deployment Award to Glenn Steiger of Glendale Water & Power for the utility's multi-phase, Smart Grid implementation in California; and

• International Collaboration Award to George Arnold of the National Institute of Standards and Technology for work in advancing international Smart Grid cooperation and standards.

"Every truly disruptive technology movement, including the Smart Grid, requires vision, risk taking, and organizations with the will and drive to apply new technologies in ways that create new value for our society," said Anto Budiardjo, president of Clasma Events. "These GridWeek Leadership Awards winners personify these qualities and all of them can claim accomplishments that are advancing the Smart Grid."

The selection committee for the 2010 GridWeek Leadership Awards include Andy Chatha, ARC; Chris Hickman, Innovari Energy; Brent Hodges, Reliant Energy; Paul Hudson, Past Commissioner of the Public Utility Commission of Texas; Mark Johnson, Energy Central; Suedeen Kelly, Past Commissioner of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; Rae McQuade, North American Energy Standards Board; Christopher Perdue, Sierra Energy Group; Mary Ann Piette, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab; and Wanda Reder, S&C Electric.  

The GridWeek Leadership Awards are part of the four-day GridWeek 2010 Conference, held from October 18-21 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington D.C.  The conference offers a broad range of experts and sessions on the Smart Grid's impact on the economy, the electric utility infrastructure, consumers and the environment – helping to set the agenda for Smart Grid advancement.  The conference will host more than 200 speakers, participating in 40 sessions, covering Smart Grid issues and topics centered around four key themes: International Collaboration, the Consumer, Smart Grid Deployment, and Putting Smart Grid on the Fast Track.

GridWeek 2010 is organized by Clasma Events. For more information on the conference, registration or sponsorship, visit www.gridweek.com.

About Clasma Events, Inc.

Clasma Events, Inc. is a global event company specializing in strategic conferences at the center of the worldwide energy discussion. With a finger on the pulse of leading industry technologies and trends, Clasma provides a stage for collaboration and cooperation among industry thought leaders at the forefront of the smart energy movement.  Focusing on smart grid, connectivity, and the new energy economy, Clasma's major events include ConnectivityWeek, GridWeek, and Grid-Interop. More information on Clasma is available at www.clasma.com.

Clasma, GridWeek, ConnectivityWeek and Grid-Interop are registered trademarks of Clasma International Corporation. Other product or service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners.

SOURCE Clasma Events, Inc.