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Smart Utility NetworksSymposia Sponsor:
 The next-generation utility concept revolves around the idea of multiple smart networks. The buzz about "smart" has been with us for awhile, but how do you get there – for many utilities, where do you even start? This symposium will look at smart networks from a variety of angles, from technologies to regulatory mandates to system integration. It’s designed to get below the layer of talk to give you facts and case studies, so that you can see what your colleagues are doing, what future opportunities may be, and how to build a business case to get there. This effort is massive and will affect everyone – let’s explore exactly how we’re doing so far. Ray N. Jones, IUN and E&U Programs Executive, IBM Corporation Presentation Do you know what the smart grid will look like five years from today? Does anyone? Join us as we discuss how the “mature” smart grid will function, and then discuss the steps that utilities need to implement today to get there. This is a great session that will focus on the future of the smart grid, with a look at the smaller steps that utilities will be taking, at different speeds, nationwide. Jill Lyon, Vice President & General Counsel, Utilities Telecom Council Presentation Will smart grids lead to dedicated spectrum? How will new telecom services change the pole attachment landscape? As always, there are many regulatory issues and proceedings that will have an impact on utility networks. Issues continue to affect your legacy systems, while new proceedings have possibilities for wireless broadband, telemetry and new technologies. Given the new direction in Washington, UTC is focusing on the energy side of regulation more than ever before as a way to get members' needs understood – particularly in regard to smart grid implementation. From land mobile to microwave, towers to cybersecurity, this session from UTC's Legal/Regulatory Department will go over the broad landscape of UTC's policy work -- including our continued search for critical spectrum – and help you navigate other events during UTC TELECOM 2009. Chris Knudsen, Director of Technology Innovation Center, Pacific Gas & Electric; and Chair, Open Smart Grid Group of the UCA International Users Group Presentation If everyone develops systems differently, the smart grid won’t be very smart. Open standards are needed to enable communications from the generating plant to appliances in the home, and across utilities. Regulators in many countries have established requirements to install smart meters as an early step to enable Smart Grid functionality. However, regulators, researchers and utilities have significant cyber security concerns. Meanwhile, standards for reliable, mission–critical Ethernet networks may enable utility automation requiring higher bandwidth, new levels of service aggregation and port density while maintaining support to legacy services and interfaces. This session reviews the many standards being worked in conjunction with the smart grid concept. Mike Smalley, COO & Vice President of Business Development, Carina Technology, Inc. Presentation In a rapidly changing environment, the requirement to satisfy the growing need for more accurate real–time information is coupled with the need to identify and prepare to meet current and future energy demands. While each industry excels in specific areas, the utility industry must identify and adopt many of the same “best practices” information management guidelines that have become standard in the commercial telecom world. This presentation will explore the challenges, options, and lessons learned in implementing and effectively utilizing integrated meter data management solutions and to produce measurable results. Prudence Parks, Federal Legislative Representative, Utilities Telecom Council It’s a whole new Washington now and different things are becoming a priority! UTC’s Public Policy Division and staff are working with Congress, the Department of Energy, The Department of Homeland Security, NTIA, the Gridwise Alliance and others and you should hear what policymakers are doing that could have a profound effect on your utility and its systems. Finish your educational day with some inside information from our Washington guests in this important session. Paul Miller, Associate Vice President, Black & Veatch Presentation As utilities expand their transmission facilities, they open up opportunities to expand telecommunications infrastructure simultaneously. This session will discuss telecom programs to implement while building out your transmission line system. In addition to hearing from a leading vendor, this session will feature case studies from utilities to show off best practices. Paul G. Afonso, Co-Leader, Boston Government Law & Strategies Group, Brown Rudnick Presentation State public utility commissions have the real power when it comes to how your utility develops its smart grid initiatives and how much you can recoup from rate base increases. This session will discuss the different initiatives in play in different states and how emerging regulatory trends will shape the overall rollout of the Smart Grid nationwide. This session will also touch on possible national mandates from the new administration and how these will likely play out in different states. This debate has a huge impact on your utility so you won’t want to miss this session. Tyler Williams, CEO, Wurldtech Securities Technology, Inc. Presentation Control operations are increasingly exposed to emerging threats – and this is especially unacceptable in the energy sector. Both government and industry groups are developing benchmarks or standards to qualify products and help operators make informed decisions: this session will offer experts on two approaches. The Roadmap to Secure Control Systems in the Energy Sector is a detailed strategy for protecting control systems used in the electric, oil, and natural gas sectors. Developed by energy sector owners and operators in collaboration with DOE, DHS, and Natural Resources Canada, the Roadmap is designed to improve the security of legacy systems and develop new control system architectures. It’s being refreshed in 2009 to reflect changes in technologies, operations, standards, regulations, and threat environments, as well as the advent of smart grid systems. In 2007, the Achilles Cyber Security Program was created to help the automation industry validate and communicate product reliability. Today, this program boasts certified devices from leading industrial equipment vendors, changing the landscape of the industrial automation industry and providing an unprecedented level of assurance about product quality and network resiliency. Hear about these two approaches to your utility's security. Fred Fletcher, Assistant General Manager, Burbank Water & Power – Board Chair, UTC’s Smart Networks Council With the advent of micro and decentralized generation, utilities are increasingly changing delivery infrastructures so that they can reap the benefits of technological and regulatory changes. Other developments, such as wind farms and plug–in hybrid vehicles, will likewise force utilities to further design and manage delivery –– as well as infrastructure and consumer billing –– in new and innovative ways. All of these developments are propelling utilities to embrace smart IP network technologies while eyeing the creation of a Smart Utility Network of Networks (SUN2), an industry–wide, interconnected IP communications network. SUN2 will enable the faster deployment of smart energy networks by supporting multiple applications including but not limited to distributed– and micro–generation of energy, sharing of customer usage data, and sharing energy with other distribution utilities without the need to interconnect via a third–party transmission network. This session will feature an outline of the benefits of SUN2 highlighting work done by UTC’s Smart Networks Council. Matt Zafuto, WW Solutions Offering Executive,IBM Global Energy & Utilities Industry, IBM Corporation Presentation Telecom and IT are the two components of an integrated ICT sector, but ICT convergence goes beyond technology. The utility industry needs to look at new ways to improve its business processes. From an IT perspective, business applications are more collaborative and communication driven. The focus of defining the future of telecom and networking has shifted towards Internet Protocol (IP), mobile communications and high–speed broadband networks. This session will focus upon the challenges and opportunities in the utility industry to deliver a homogeneous environment for time–sensitive and traditional IT applications, the critical role of addressing ICT convergence and the set of skills required for continued success. Stephen Acker, Partner, Fasken Martineau DuMoulin, LLP Presentation They did it! In a decision of profound importance to the deployment of smart grids, Industry Canada announced late in December that it will move forward with the allocation of 1800–1830 MHz for the nation's electric grid. The consultation commenced last June with proposed changes to technical rules that would not restrict who could obtain licenses, but only their use. Now, new technical rules for the 1800–1830 MHz band will control radio systems carrying traffic exclusively for the maintenance and management of the electricity supply. Hear the current status of this vital proceeding and what implications it could have for the United States. Arthur Locke, Regional Vice President of North American Utilities, Alcatel-Lucent Presentation Smart metering is the new way for utilities to monitor users’ consumption, give customers feedback about their carbon emissions, provide outage notifications, and more. Smart metering is likely to have to run over a broadband network. Regulators are pressuring utilities to get a handle on energy load control, demands and security. Yet, smart metering is just one part of the overall goal of “going green.” Utilities–generally slow to implement new technologies –are looking to existing networks and new, yet proven, equipment to help them achieve those aims. Find out what is going on right now in the industry and what options are available to your utility. Richard Bertolo, Project Director, Distribution Business Development, Hydro One Networks Presentation Smart meters are best–known part of smart grid, empowering consumers while providing utilities with much more data about energy use to promote overall energy efficiency and conservation. Critical for any utility to enable its smart metering/smart grid strategy is to have a telecommunications network that provides ubiquitous connectivity throughout its operating territory. Come hear how leading utilities are implementing this strategy over their entire service territory – including rural areas. This session will feature case studies from utilities on their projects to date. William P. Fredrickson, Vice President- Global Utilities, Tait Radio Communications Presentation This session will provide an overview of the next generation open standard digital voice and data network (ETSI DMR – Digital Mobile Radio). The session will explore the features inherent in the technology that enable improved voice communications as well as mobile data applications. Attendees will be briefed on FCC rulings and the applicability of DMR to provide both narrowband 12.5 KHz compliance and 6.25 KHz equivalency. A discussion of the pros and cons of DMR as an open standard will be included. The presentation will explore possible technology migration strategies that enable enterprises to scale their implementation to match budgets and operational needs while future proofing the investment. David Hulinsky, P.E., Engineering Manager-Telecommunications, Black & Veatch Presentation This session will present an overview of each dimension of the smart utility, from power distribution back to generation, and from information management to business processes and telecommunications. Each aspect of the smart utility is inter related, but faces a myriad of challenges that require enterprise–wide solutions to align all facets of a utility's operation. The important roles of engineering and telecom will also be explored and extrapolated during this session. Brett Kilbourne, Director of Regulatory Services & Associate Counsel, Utilities Telecom Council Presentation Thanks to the landmark economic stimulus package, the rush is on to capitalize on the grants, loans and matching funds available for Smart Grid projects and technology as well as broadband initiatives. Utilities are at the center of the action. Learn the big picture view of the funds available, the parameters for successful applications and the important deadlines for getting in on the action. Your association has been busy identifying and working with those on point at DOE, USDA’s RUS, NTIA and the FCC -- you should take advantage of what it has learned in order to get a leg-up on the application process. David Shpigler, President, The Shpigler Group Presentation Financing a project is always one of the major sticking points driving investment decisions. Proving the long–term financial benefits of these projects is often difficult, considering there is little precedent from other utilities to prove the worth of next–generation improvements. This session will discuss the financial implications of making the investment in the next–generation utility, highlighting the financial benefits that can accrue alongside the operational benefits. You can manage financial expectations while still getting your next–generation projects on the high–priority list for tight capital dollars. Rita Wells, Manager/Scada and Process Control Systems, Idaho National Laboratory Whether you call it DCS, SCADA or something else, critical infrastructures don’t function without control systems to monitor vital functions and shut down operations when danger arises. How well do you understand what these systems do and how they are changing? There are new technologies available that can improve system functions. This workshop is designed to provide the basics of control systems; to examine the many security issues facing them; and to cover efforts to move to the next, more secure, generation of technology. Mike Meyer, Project Manager, Black & Veatch Presentation Once you know what’s available under the ARRA, how do you put together a successful application? This workshop will go beyond the basics to focus on navigating the complex government funding maze. Speakers will discuss both the content perspective – to comply with the specific FOA requirements issued by DOE, NTIA and RUS – and the procedural standpoint, making sure the right form is used and deadlines are not missed. |
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