The GridWise Alliance has announced that 15 companies and organizations have recently joined this national coalition whose goal is to promote the use of smart grid technologies to transform the nation's electric power system. New members include American Electric Power; Cellnet + Hunt; Computer Sciences Corporation; Cooper Power Systems; EKA Systems; KEMA Consulting; MainNet Communications, Ltd.; Midwest Independent Transmission System Operator; National Grid; Public Service Electric and Gas Company; SensorTran, Inc.; Siemens Power Transmission & Distribution; Telvent; Washington State University and ZIV USA, Ltd.

"We are pleased to welcome these new members in the GridWise Alliance. These companies continue to strengthen the coalition and broaden our impact by providing a consensus message across the industry. Our diverse coalition includes utilities, utility equipment vendors, IT companies, new technology providers, research organizations, venture capital firms, and now also a university" said Guido Bartels, Chairman of the GridWise Alliance and General Manager of IBM's Global Energy and Utilities Industry. "This growing ecosystem of companies is the collaborative and innovative force behind the positive changes already taking place."

"The passage of the Energy Bill in 2007 and the continued growth of the GridWise Alliance continues to shine a spotlight on the importance of a smart grid in our nation's future," commented Steve Hauser, president of the GridWise Alliance, and vice president of strategy for GridPoint. "Our purpose is to advocate for change in policies at both a national and local level. Key decision makers are looking to us for better ideas, better information and effective solutions to the pressures being put on the power sector," he went on to say.

The GridWise Alliance was founded in 2003. The GridWise Alliance advocates a vision of an electric system that integrates the infrastructure, processes, devices, information and market structure so that energy can be generated, distributed, and consumed more efficiently and cost effectively; thereby achieving a more resilient, secure and reliable energy system. Over the past four years the Alliance has advocated for change on both the national and state levels. Its members include utilities, IT companies, equipment vendors, new technology providers and educational institutions.

Current members of the GridWise Alliance include: ABB, Accenture, Aegis Technologies, Alcatel-Lucent, Ambient Corporation, American Electric Power, Arcadian Networks, AREVA-T&D, Austin Energy, Autodesk, Beacon Power Corp., Bonneville Power Administration, Cellnet+Hunt, CenterPoint Energy, Cisco, ClickSoftware, CMEA Ventures, Computer Sciences Corporation, Con Edison, Constellation Energy, Consumers Energy Company, Cooper Power Systems, Current, Duke Energy, Duquesne Broadband, EKA Systems, Energy-Insights, EnergySolve, Environmental System Research Institute, EPRI, GE, GridPoint, Inc., IBM, Ice Energy, Itron, KEMA Consulting, Lockheed Martin, MainNet Communications, Microsoft Corporation, Midwest ISO, Nation Grid, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Public Service Electric and Gas Company, PJM Interconnection, RockPort Capital Partners, RuggedCom, SAIC, SAP, Sempra Energy, SensorTran, Inc., Serveron Corporation, Siemens Power Transmission & Distribution , Site Controls, SmartSynch, Telvent, Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), Tollgrade Communications, Utilities Telecom Council , Washington State University, and ZIV USA, Inc.