The IEEE, the world’s largest technical professional association, is stepping up its involvement in the smart grid following the launch of its IEEE P2030 project to develop standards in the space. In addition to standards and interoperability work on smart grid by its members, the organization is announced that it will host several conferences and meetings on the subject in the next few months.

According to the IEEE, over 100 smart grid technical sessions have been held over the past four years. According to IEEE, smart grid development program now has ‘top priority.’ IEEE and other prominent organizations are working in collaboration to create a framework of standards that will bring together numerous industries, including power, security, technology, manufacturing, government, and communications toward furtherance of this vision.

In the U.S., Dr. E. James Prendergast, Executive Director of IEEE, participated earlier this month in the Smart Grid Leadership meeting, organized by Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and Energy Secretary Steven Chu, which brought together industry leaders to share their vision on how to utilize standards to create a roadmap for successful smart grid implementation, the IEEE said.

“IEEE is excited to be a central force in the smart grid initiative, as it will be impactful to life as we know it,” commented Dr. Prendergast. “In the future, the smart grid is going to be the infrastructure that powers our daily lives. Not only will the smart grid be able to grow with our evolving energy needs as new technologies enter the power equation, but it will also help reduce blackouts and energy pollution as well. This is something that will benefit humanity on many levels, for developed and developing nations alike.”

Examples of upcoming IEEE hosted conferences with smart grid activities include:

At IEEE PowerTech 2009 in Bucharest, Romania June 28 – July 2, 2009, scientists and engineers throughout Europe will gather to discuss topics such as artificial intelligence techniques in power systems, developing the concept of smart grids and restructuring of the electricity industry and transnational networks.

IEEE PES will hold a meeting July 26-30, 2009 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada focused on the theme, “Investment in Workforce and Innovation for Power Systems”, with major focus on Smart Grid including an in depth look at subjects such as integrating renewables and storage into the grid.

The IEEE PES/IAS Conference on Sustainable Alternative Energy in Valencia, Spain September 28-30, 2009, will advance the smart grid discussion and development by focusing on the implications of a high penetration of wind power and other alternative energy on transmission and distribution networks; as well as that of distributive generation.

Following on the unqualified success of the IEEE PES-sponsored Asia-Pacific Power and Energy Engineering Conference (APPEEC 2009), plans are underway for APPEEC 2010, which will be held March 28-March 31 in Chengdu, China and which will offer a substantive smart grid “track” covering topics such as operation and control, distributed generation, smart meters and renewable energy applications.

“IEEE has been providing leadership for smart grid development and continues to build upon its vast membership, expertise, materials and conference venues to facilitate understanding,” said Wanda Reder, President, IEEE PES and NTDC (New Technology Directions Committee) Smart Grid Chair. “IEEE is leveraging its strong foundation and collaborating to evolve standards, share best practices, publish developments and provide related educational offerings to advance technology and facilitate successful deployments throughout the world.”