EnerNex Awarded Contract in Support of Nation’s Smart Grid Deployment

KNOXVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--EnerNex announced today the contract award from the U.S. Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in support of the Smart Grid interoperability standards development and harmonization effort to enable widespread deployment of an interoperable and secure Smart Grid. This contract was awarded through a competitive process.

“primary responsibility to coordinate development of a framework that includes protocols and model standards for information management to achieve interoperability of Smart Grid (SG) devices and systems….”

EnerNex has provided technical administration to NIST in support of the Smart Grid Interoperability Panel (SGIP). The SGIP is composed of Smart Grid stakeholder representatives; the panel will carry on the continuing, long-term task of identifying, prioritizing and addressing new and emerging requirements for Smart Grid interoperability and security.

Under the contract, EnerNex will provide technical resources for supporting:

• the acceleration of Smart Grid standards,
• Smart Grid architectural, testing and certification, and cyber security efforts, and
• Domain Expert Working Groups (DEWGs).

Erich Gunther, EnerNex chairman and chief technology officer, and the project’s stakeholder relationship management lead, stated, “We are pleased and honored to have been awarded the contract to support NIST as administrator of the SGIP. We appreciate the opportunity to be a leader in this critical effort to accelerate Smart Grid standards development and implementation.”

Using its technical expertise, EnerNex will lead and support the working groups, Priority Action Plans (PAPs), and task forces for the SGIP and its Governing Board (SGIPGB) which includes: facilitating technical meetings and presentations, organizing technical events, guiding standards through the development process, and other technical activities that support the goals of the SGIP.

Stuart McCafferty, the EnerNex project manager, stated, “Over the past two years, the industry support and participation in the SGIP and the value they have provided to the Smart Grid community has been remarkable. The fruits of this work are already being realized in new vendor products and increased standards interoperability. We are confident in continued success and anticipate significant acceleration of existing and new standards development, adoption, and conformance.”

The EnerNex core project team includes: Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), Hypertek, National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), Navarrete Consulting, Reef Energy System, LLC, Smart Grid Operations Consulting, UCA International Users Group, Xanthus Consulting, and independent consultant Malcolm Thaden.

Under Title XIII, Section 1305 of the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007, the U. S. Department of Commerce, NIST has “primary responsibility to coordinate development of a framework that includes protocols and model standards for information management to achieve interoperability of Smart Grid (SG) devices and systems….” This contract supports NIST in their effort. For more information on NIST, visit http://www.nist.gov/smartgrid/.

For more information on the SGIP, visit: http://collaborate.nist.gov/twiki-sggrid/bin/view/SmartGrid/WebHome.

To view the award notification, click here.

EnerNex, established in 2003, provides engineering and consulting services, along with software solutions and customization, for the electric power industry. EnerNex focuses on providing services around the development and application of new and emerging electric power technologies to engineer a cleaner, smarter energy system of the future. For more information on EnerNex, visit www.enernex.com.