News Release
For Immediate Release
Contact: Peter Vercellone
Office: 401-435-8900
peter.vercellone@litossc.com
Litos Strategic Communication announces publication of The Smart Grid: An Introduction, prepared for the Department of Energy’s Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability.
(Providence, RI, October 14, 2008) The Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability (OE) has commissioned the development of a 48-page book that describes the need for, and vision of, a smart grid for America. The Smart Grid: An Introduction is the first publication to outline the promise and power of a smarter grid in layman’s terms, defining it as an enabling engine that positively addresses every relevant issue, from reliability and affordability to consumer choice and climate change.
The Smart Grid: An Introduction tells this complex story as simply as possible, addressing a range of smart grid topics, offering a comprehensive view of the nation’s electrical grid as it now exists, a clarification of what a Smart Grid is – and is not – and a vision of what America’s Smart Grid may be. Also discussed is how various public and private sector constituencies – utilities, regulators, consumers and the like – are preparing for the Smart Grid.
“The Smart Grid is envisioned as including a wide array of tools, techniques and information technologies that will ultimately revolutionize all facets of electricity generation, transmission and distribution,” stated Mark Litos, President of Litos Strategic Communication.
As the book points out, the benefits of a Smart Grid are myriad, including greater reliability and affordability of electric power, enhanced efficiency in the way energy can be stored until needed, and greater grid security. Renewable energy sources such as solar and wind are better able to be exploited with the Smart Grid. And America’s global competitiveness will be enhanced.
More complete integration of distributed energy and demand-side management resources into the distribution system could, according to the book, enable customers to implement their own tailored solutions, thus boosting business profitability, for example. The book will be distributed to a wide range of utility executives, energy experts, environmental and business leaders, policy makers and influencers of every stripe. A PDF version of the booklet can also be found on http://www.energy.gov or www.oe.energy.gov.
“Publication of The Smart Grid: An Introduction is an early response to the mandate from Congress to DOE and it’s Smart Grid Task Force to drive awareness of the need for modernization of the nation’s electrical grid,” stated Litos. “We believe that this book, and its description of the terminology, challenges and opportunities inherent in the transition of our electrical grid, will create a useful basis for discussion within both the public and private sectors,” he continued.
Congress enacted the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) last year. Title XIII of the legislation established Federal policy to support the development of the Smart Grid and called for DOE, among other things, to ensure awareness of Smart Grid concepts, technologies and practices, leading to the publication of the book.
“There could be no more appropriate time than the present to launch a broader public discussion of the Smart Grid topic,” stated Litos. “The implications of a Smart Grid for more efficient use of electricity must be a key component of the nation’s continued development of its energy policy.”
The Smart Grid: An Introduction was principally written, edited and designed by Litos Strategic Communication, a Rhode Island-based marketing firm, under contract No. DE-AC26-04NT41817, Subtask 560.01.04.
About Litos Strategic Communication
Litos Strategic Communication has been involved in virtually every sector of energy for nearly three decades, from demand-response to energy efficiency to the smart grid; from utilities to transmission to technology; from natural gas to renewables. In 2007, the firm wrote the strategic plan to advance the Smart Grid Initiative for the GridWise Alliance. A year later, it authored The Smart Grid: An Introduction, for the U.S. Department of Energy, the first book of its kind to convey to a broad audience, in layman’s terms, the power and promise of the smart grid. Following the success of An Introduction, Litos engaged in stakeholder outreach, publishing six additional guidebooks to address key stakeholder groups which ranged from utilities to regulators to consumer advocates.
