The Silicon Valley Leadership Group, city of San Jose and Pacific Gas and Electric Co. have partnered to create the Silicon Valley Smart Grid Task Force. The group brings leaders from industry, the public sector, non-profits and academia together to make recommendations on California's energy efficiency efforts and the rollout of Smart Grid technology.

The task force, which was announced at the 2010 Silicon Valley Energy Summit co-hosted by the Silicon Valley Leadership Group at Stanford University's Precourt Energy Efficiency Center, will aim to better educate the public about smart grid technology and its importance in aiding California's long-term environmental sustainability and energy efficiency goals. As first steps, the Smart Grid Task Force will commission a study to investigate the economic impacts of smart grid technology.

"The leaders coming together to create this task force understand the direct connection between creating a high-tech electric grid and answering the energy, environmental and economic challenges of the 21st century," said PG&E President Chris Johns. "Consumers, businesses, government and communities all share a stake in its success, and the task force represents a new and important way for us to work together toward this vision."

The task force consists of member companies Oracle, Cisco, Nanosolar, Control4, Coulomb Technologies, Silver Spring Networks and OPower, among other leaders in energy and renewable energy. In addition to educating consumers, the Silicon Valley Smart Grid Task Force will focus on how smart grid enhances long-term environmental and efficiency goals, demonstrate the economic benefits of smart grid investments in creating Silicon Valley jobs and identify next steps for local, state and federal policy makers to expedite the deployment of smart grid.

Many utilities throughout California are beginning to deploy technology that will develop smarter grids. PG&E has installed 5.5 million gas and electric meters with SmartMeter technology, as part of its effort to give customers more information about their energy consumption and contribute to the Smart Grid. PG&E's SmartMeter program is part of a statewide effort approved by the California Public Utilities Commission to upgrade California's energy infrastructure with automated metering technology. Worldwide, more than 90 million advanced meters have been installed.