Five new members of the Smart Grid Consumer Collaborative put the nonprofit group over its goal of 50 members in its first year. The group, which last week announced its first permanent executive director in Patty Durand, continues to gain momentum with these new members:

• San Diego Gas & Electric is one of the nation’s largest public electric utilities.
• The Alliance to Save Energy, the Natural Resources Defense Council, Green DMV, and the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance are environmental and consumer advocacy groups.
• Vertex Business Services is a business process outsourcing and IT services company which promotes improved customer experience.

“The SGCC was formed to foster mutual understanding between industry and consumers regarding the creation of a next-generation energy infrastructure,” said SGCC Interim Director Jesse Berst. “We’ve grown rapidly by welcoming utilities, vendors, and consumer groups to listen, educate, and collaborate through research and forums for sharing best practices.”

Founded in February 2010, the SGCC’s growth highlights a new trend toward collaborative efforts to build a modern electric grid that serves the needs of all stakeholders. SGCC Charter members include General Electric, IBM, and the GridWise Alliance. For a complete list of members, see smartgridcc.org/members.