Smart Grid Leadership Awards Go to Rosenfeld, Elliott, and the NYSERDA Presidency at National Town Meeting

WASHINGTON, July 11, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Association for Demand Response & Smart Grid (ADS) announced today the latest recipients of its Demand Response and Smart Grid Leadership Awards. The recipients are Dr. Art Rosenfeld, Distinguished Scientist Emeritus at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and energy-efficiency pioneer; Sherman Elliott, Commissioner of the Illinois Commerce Commission; and the entire Presidency of the New York State Energy Research & Development Authority (NYSERDA).

The awards will be presented at the ADS's 2011 National Town Meeting on Demand Response and Smart Grid, to be held on July 12th – 14th in Washington, D.C., at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center.

Dan Delurey, Executive Director of the ADS, applauded the award recipients for their efforts to move states and the nation as a whole towards development of a smart grid and the deployment of smart grid activities like demand response. "As activity in our space has increased and the DR and smart grid community has expanded, there are many 'heroes' out there," said Delurey. "The individuals chosen are only three among many who have been key contributors to the progress that is being made."

"Art Rosenfeld is a legend to many in the energy efficiency community for his pioneering work and leadership in a number of ways over many years," said Delurey. "But those of us in the DR and smart grid community need to also recognize that he was one of the first persons from that community to recognize the importance of DR. Likewise, it is particularly a pleasure to give an award to Sherman Elliott. He was a founding member of our organization before becoming a Commissioner on the ICC, where he has been a strong advocate for DR and Smart Grid in recent years. As for NYSERDA, the agency has stood out for many years for its support of not just traditional energy efficiency, but also DR—something that puts it ahead of most other states. We applaud Frank Murray, the current NYSERDA President, but also want to recognize a long line of leaders there who have pursued this course. We therefore present our award to the entire NYSERDA Presidency."

The National Town Meeting on Demand Response and Smart Grid is the annual gathering in Washington, D.C., of the policymakers and business leaders whose actions are realizing the vision of the modern grid. "As the 8th National Town Meeting unfolds, this year's event looks to be the most consequential one yet," Delurey said. "While much has happened, there is clearly more to do to fulfill the promise of DR and smart grid.  The community that comes together at the National Town Meeting needs to bear down and focus on how to take things to the next level."

Information on the National Town Meeting, including on-site registration, can be found at www.smartgridtownmeeting.com.  

Dr. Art Rosenfeld, a co-founder of the American Council for an Energy Efficiency Economy (ACEEE) and the University of California's Institute for Energy and the Environment (CIEE), began his career in the Department of Physics at the University of California at Berkeley after earning his Ph.D. in Physics in 1954 at the University of Chicago under Nobel Laureate Enrico Fermi. In 1974, Dr. Rosenfeld formed the Center for Building Science at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, which he led until 1994. From 1994 – 1999, he served as Senior Advisor to the U.S. Department of Energy's Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. From 2000 – 2010 he served as a Commissioner at the California Energy Commission under both Governor Gray Davis and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. At the CEC, Dr. Rosenfeld oversaw the Public Interest Energy Research program (annual budget of $82 million); was responsible for California's energy efficiency standards for buildings and appliances; and collaborated with the California Public Utilities Commission to oversee California's Energy Efficiency Program (an annual of $1 billion). In 2010, Dr. Rosenfeld was appointed Distinguished Scientist Emeritus at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. He now works on an international campaign for the adoption of white roofs and "cool colored" surfaces to reduce heat islands and mitigate global warming in addition to serving on two Department of Energy advisory committees.

NYSERDA, a public benefit corporation, offers objective information and analysis, innovative programs, technical expertise, and funding to help New Yorkers increase energy efficiency, save money, use renewable energy, and reduce their reliance on fossil fuels. NYSERDA professionals work to protect our environment and create clean-energy jobs. NYSERDA has been developing partnerships to advance innovative energy solutions in New York since 1975. .

Commissioner Sherman Elliot was appointed to the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) in January 2008. In addition to his state regulatory duties, Commissioner Elliot serves on the Energy Resources and Environment Committee of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) as well as on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)/NARUC Smart Grid Collaborative. The Smart Grid Collaborative provides an important forum for discussing technological and policy issues to facilitate the transition to a smart electric grid. The Commissioner also serves as a member of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Energy Infrastructure and Security Act (EISA) Business and Policy Domain Expert Working Group on the Smart Grid; as an Advisory Board member for the Financial Research Institute (FRI) and; as a member of the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) Advisory Council for the Central Region. Prior to joining the ICC, Commission Elliot served as Manager of State Regulatory Affairs for the Midwest Independent Transmission System Operator (MISO).

About the National Town Meeting on Demand Response and Smart Grid

The 2011 National Town Meeting on Demand Response and Smart Grid will be held on July 12 – 14, 2011, in Washington, D.C., at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. It is presented by ADS and is considered by many to be the premier demand response and smart grid event in the U.S., bringing together stakeholders from utilities, technology companies, ISOs, Congress, federal and state agencies, environmental groups, and research and consulting firms. New for the 2011 National Town Meeting is the NAP Day Pre-Conference Workshop. This is an extra day dedicated to the effort of implementing FERC and DOE's National Action Plan on Demand Response and Smart Grid (NAP).

More information on the National Town Meeting can be found at www.demandresponsetownmeeting.com.

About the Association for Demand Response & Smart Grid (ADS)

The Association for Demand Response & Smart Grid (ADS) is a nonprofit organization, originally formed as the Demand Response Coordinating Committee (DRCC) in 2004. ADS is an organization consisting of DR and smart grid organizations as well as individuals who consider themselves to be demand response and smart grid professionals. It provides services to meet the needs of its members that help them in the conduct of their work and in the attainment of their personal, corporate, and governmental objectives. ADS seeks to establish and grow a demand response "community" of policymakers, utilities, system operators, technology companies, consumers, and other stakeholders. More information on ADS can be found at: www.demandresponsesmartgrid.org.

Organization Members of ADS are Ameren; American Electric Power; Arizona Public Service; Com Ed; ENBALA; Exelon; Freeman, Sullivan & Co.; ISO New England; Midwest ISO; National Grid; Navigant Energy Practice; NYSERDA; Pacific Gas & Electric; PECO; PJM Interconnection; Progress Energy; Salt River Project; San Diego Gas & Electric; Southern California Edison; Southern Company; Tennessee Valley Authority; and Walmart.

SOURCE Association for Demand Response & Smart Grid