Workshop: Smart Grid, Broadband and Climate Change

Aug
25
2009

Workshop: Smart Grid, Broadband and Climate Change

1:30 pm - 3:30 pm EDT
Washington, DC
The goal of this workshop is to identify potential impacts of a National Broadband Plan on energy, the environment, and transportation. The workshop panelists will explore how the broadband and communications infrastructure can play a transformative role in meeting our national energy, environmental, and transportation goals, including energy independence, greenhouse gas emissions reductions and clean energy generation.

Webcast

Topics

The following are some of the preliminary topics that will be covered at this workshop. If you would like to discuss any other topics, please send us your suggestions.
  • What types of communications networks can and should be used for various Smart Grid applications?
  • What are the pros and cons of the various types of networks?
  • How much bandwidth is needed to support Smart Grid communications? Do current networks meet these needs?
  • What are the biggest obstacles to deploying Smart Grid equipment and to generating benefits from these deployments?
  • What are the panelists’ recommendations for achieving maximum adoption and utilization of Smart Grid equipment throughout the energy ecosystem, from generation to consumption?
  • What are the specific communications and information technologies that can be leveraged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions?
  • How can these technologies be implemented across America?
  • What are the challenges in the adoption of these technologies and how can these obstacles be overcome?
  • What are the panelists’ recommendations for achieving maximum adoption and utilization of these communications and information technologies?

Agenda

1:30 pm Introductory Remarks from Commissioner Mignon Clyburn 
 
1:35 pm Smart Grid Panel Opening Remarks
  • Moderator, Nick Sinai, Energy and Environment Director, National Broadband Taskforce 
 
1:40 pm
Smart Grid Panelist Presentations 
  • Eric Lightner, Director, Federal Smart Grid Task Force, U.S. Department of Energy
  • Dean Prochaska, National Coordinator for Smart Grid Conformance, NIST
  • Mark Dudzinski, CMO, GE Energy
  • Eric Miller, SVP of Solutions, Trilliant
  • Henry Jones, Chief Scientist, SmartSynch
  • Joby Lafky, Program Manager, Electric Vehicle Management Platform, Gridpoint
  • Jason Griffith, Director, IT Telecom Engineering, AEP
2:10 pm Panel Discussion and Q&A Period
  • FCC Participants: Colin Crowell, Senior Counselor to the Chairman; Julius Knapp, Chief, Office of Engineering; John Leibovitz, Deputy Chief, Wireless Bureau; Dr. Jon Peha, Chief Technologist 
3:00 pm Panel Conclusion
 
3:05 pm (5 minute break before Panel 2)
 
3:05 pm Panel 2: Broadband and Climate Change Opening Remarks
  • Moderator, Nick Sinai, Energy and Environment Director, National Broadband Taskforce 
3:10 pm
Broadband and Climate Change Panelist Presentations 
  • Chris Walker, former Director for North America, The Climate Group
  • Sheryl Wilkerson, President, Willow, LLC
  • Matt Bauer, President, BetterWorld Telecom
  • Colin Buechler, SVP of Marketing, LifeSize Communications
  • Maura O’Neill, Senior Advisor for Energy and Climate and Chief of Staff to the Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics, USDA
  • Skip Laitner, Economic Analysis Director, American Council for an Energy-Efficiency Economy (ACEEE)
3:40 pm Panel Discussion and Q&A Period
  • FCC Participant Panel: Colin Crowell, Senior Counselor to the Chairman; Kristen Kane, National Purposes Director 
4:20 pm Adjournment

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