The inaugural meeting of the Smart Grid Interoperability Panel (SGIP), a new stakeholder forum to provide technical support to the Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) as it coordinates standards for a modernized electric power system, concluded November 19 with the election of 20 members to its governing board.
Established by NIST with the assistance of Knoxville, Tenn.-based EnerNex Corp., under a contact enabled by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the new organization provides an open process for businesses and other stakeholder groups to participate in coordinating and accelerating development of standards for the evolving Smart Grid.
Starting with an initial membership of more than 370 organizations spread among 22 stakeholder categories, the SGIP’s three primary functions are to:
- Provide technical guidance to facilitate development of standards for a secure, interoperable Smart Grid;
- Specify testing and certification requirements necessary to assess the interoperability Smart Grid-related equipment, software, and services; and
- Oversee the performance of activities intended to expedite the development of interoperability and cyber security specifications by standards development organizations.
Members in 17 of the 22 SGIP stakeholder categories elected a representative to the governing board. Because of a tie, a run-off election will be held for the board seat in the stakeholder category representing "standards and specification development organizations." There were no candidates in several categories, and they will be filled at a later date. In addition, the entire membership voted on three at-large board members.
>Read the full announcement, including the list of newly elected governing board members.
