The Galvin Electricity Initiative will initiate a dialogue among industry leaders at GridWeek 2009 to identify strategies for building smart microgrids -- small, local, modernized versions of the bulk power grid that optimize the local distribution system and maximize benefits for both consumers and utilities. The Initiative will lead an expert panel on Wednesday, Sept. 23, at 3:30 p.m. at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, D.C., discussing the implementation of smart microgrids and examining the costs and benefits of this approach to electricity grid modernization. The panel will address deployment barriers and the roles of utilities, regulators, local governments and the private sector in the development of smart microgrids.

The Initiative also will participate in a media roundtable at 3 p.m. on September 23 that will address how the current energy and climate change legislation in Congress and pending regulatory actions by Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and state regulatory bodies will affect the smart grid roll-out across the nation.

The panel will include:

• John Kelly, deputy executive director, Galvin Electricity Initiative
• Guy Warner, chairman and CEO, Pareto Energy LTD
• Tom Bialek, chief engineer, technology innovation development, San Diego Gas & Electric
• Len Pettis, chief, plant, energy & utilities, The California State University
• Rob Thornton, president, International District Energy Association 

GridWeek 2009, produced by Clasma Events Inc., brings together U.S. and international energy and environmental leaders, policymakers and regulators, utility and smart grid technology companies, the venture community and consumer advocacy stakeholders for a four-day forum Sept. 21-24 in Washington, D.C.