Smart Grid Consumer Collaborative Commends New $250 Million Federal & Private Leadership Initiatives

ATLANTA, June 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Executive Director Patty Durand of the Smart Grid Consumer Collaborative (SGCC) joined several high-level Administration officials and other private-sector leaders and other innovators gathered from across the nation to learn of the new initiatives and provide input at a White House event from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Eastern today.

"We're pleased to see this federal leadership supporting the variety of public- and private-sector initiatives announced today," said SGCC Executive Director Durand, who leads an independent non-profit group working to foster mutual understanding between industry and consumers on all things smart grid. "The emphasis in these initiatives seems to be on meeting the needs of people in their local communities and empowering consumers to access and control their energy needs in new ways –- priorities the SGCC supports with its own outreach to all stakeholders."  

The White House announcement included:

• $250 million in loans for smart-grid technology deployment as part of the US Department of Agriculture's Rural Utility Service, which is focused on upgrading the electric grid in rural America.
• The launch of Grid 21, a private sector initiative to promote consumer-friendly innovations while ensuring proper privacy safeguards and consumer protections.
• New commitments by the Department of Energy to focus on improving consumer access to their own energy information, including the development of a crowd-sourced map to track progress, a data-driven competition designed to harness the imagination and enthusiasm of America's students to encourage home energy efficiency, and new EIA efforts to measure progress.
• Expanded partnerships to continue working with States and stakeholders, including an initiative to share lessons learned from Recovery Act smart grid investments, a series of regional peer-to-peer stakeholder meetings, and updated online resources available at: www.SmartGrid.gov.
• The formation of a Renewable Energy Rapid Response Team, co-led by the White House Council on Environmental Quality, the Department of the Interior, and the Department of Energy, to improve federal coordination and ensure timely review of proposed renewable energy projects and transmission lines, to ensure that renewable energy can power cities and towns across America, and to increase reliability and save consumers money by modernizing the grid.  

About the Smart Grid Consumer Collaborative (SGCC)

The SGCC is a consumer focused non-profit organization aiming to promote the understanding and benefits of modernized electrical systems among all stakeholders in the United States.  Membership is open to all consumer and environmental advocates, technology vendors, research scientists, and electric utilities for sharing in research, best practices, and collaborative efforts of the group.  Join @ www.smartgridcc.org.

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SOURCE Smart Grid Consumer Collaborative