The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners has named 16 State commissioners to serve on the joint federal-State Smart Grid Collaborative.

The NARUC-Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Smart Grid Collaborative, developed in early February, will serve as an important forum for discussing technological and other issues to facilitate the transition to a smart electric grid. Many companies are promoting smart-grid technologies and this dialogue will help regulators understand what is being developed and how it will impact consumers.

NARUC First Vice President Frederick Butler of New Jersey and FERC Commissioner Suedeen Kelly serve as co-chairs of the collaborative.

"This is an issue that is coming to the attention of state regulators as local delivery utilities and purveyors of Smart Grid technology are seeking our approval for installing this technology and rate recovery for their efforts," said First Vice President Butler. "Before we get too far down this road, state and federal regulators must have a better idea of what technologies are out there, how they will benefit consumers, and how they will impact the grid."

The following state regulators will join First Vice President Butler on the Collaborative: Commissioner Garry Brown of New York; Commissioner Paul Centolella of Ohio; Rachelle Chong of California; Commissioner Robert Clayton of Missouri; Commissioner Sherman Elliott of Illinois; Commissioner Wendell Holland of Pennsylvania; Commissioner Colette Honorable of Arkansas; Commissioner Orjiakor Isiogu of Michigan; Commissioner Jon McKinney of West Virginia; Commissioner Katrina McMurrian of Florida; Commissioner Rick Morgan of the District of Columbia; Commissioner Pat Oshie of Washington; Commissioner Sharon Reishus of Maine; Commissioner James Tarpey of Colorado; Commissioner Harold Williams of Maryland; and Commissioner Dallas Winslow of Delaware.

“This Collaborative cannot succeed without the time and energy from our state colleagues and I thank them for going above and beyond in their efforts to serve the ratepayers of this country,” said NARUC President Marsha Smith of Idaho. “The Smart Grid has the potential to help our nation meet its growing need for energy by making the transmission system more reliable, robust, and efficient, and through our efforts with FERC, this Collaborative will help us understand these developments.”

“I am very pleased by the great interest around the country in the Smart Grid collaborative,” Commissioner Kelly said. “It suggests that the time is ripe for development of the Smart Grid to begin. I look forward to working with my state colleagues to determine the functional requirements of the technologies that the utilities will install and to ensure that systems are built to a consistent set of technical standards to provide maximum benefit, quality and interoperability to electricity consumers.”

The Smart Grid Collaborative will have its first meeting during the July 20-23, 2008, NARUC Summer Committee Meetings in Portland, Oregon.