IEEE members who are interested in the latest developments in the smart grid are urged to register for the first IEEE PES Conference on Innovative Smart Grid Technologies. The conference is a forum for participants to discuss state-of-the-art innovations in smart grid technologies and to gain insights on practical applications and near-term solutions. The conference is being sponsored by the IEEE Power & Energy Society (PES) and will be hosted by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Gaithersburg, Maryland.

The Conference will feature special breakout sessions and tutorials presented by a faculty of internationally recognized experts in the field of smart grid applications. Attendees can choose from the following list of technical breakout sessions that will be offered over the course of the three-day conference: Standards, Energy Management Systems, Wide Area Protection, Communications and Control, Cyber and Physical Security, T&D, Advanced Distribution Automation, Advanced Metering Infrastructure and Power & Energy System Applications.

In addition to the special breakout sessions attendees can have the option of enrolling in two in-depth tutorial sessions including:

• Smart Grid Boot Camp 101, scheduled for Tuesday morning, Jan. 19, introduces the basics of Smart Grid, based on the NIST Smart Grid Framework. The tutorial covers all aspects of smart grid--from why smart grid now, to the key technologies that comprise the smart grid. It introduces the work of OpenSmartGrid, Gridwise Architecture Council, NIST, DOE’s Modern Grid Project and other key efforts from around the world.
• Lessons Learned in Smart Metering, scheduled for Thursday afternoon, Jan. 20, is aimed at companies that are getting ready to roll out smart meters. It is based on the presenter’s work with more than 30 utilities from around the world that have installed more than 40 million new meters since 2000. The session will cover topics that range from: when should I put up my MDMS and Backhaul networks; to when theft begins with a new meter; to why there should not be a hammer in the installer’s tool set.

Special note to all attendees: All attendees and registrants must be pre-registered and will be required to bring a government-issued photo ID (e.g. driver’s license, passport) to gain access to the NIST facility in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Due to NIST’s secured facility regulations, pre-registration for this meeting is required prior to the deadline. No on-site registration will be available at the conference.

The registration deadline is Jan. 8, 2010, midnight EST.