The U.S. Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has awarded a contract to EnerNex, a leading provider of engineering and consulting services. Both the organizations will work for smart grid interoperability standards development, and enable widespread deployment of an interoperable and secure smart grid.
According to the terms of the contract, EnerNex will provide NIST with technical resources to support the acceleration of smart grid standards, smart grid architectural, testing and certification, and cyber security efforts, and Domain Expert Working Groups (DEWGs).
EnerNex has provided technical administration to NIST in support of the smart grid Interoperability Panel (SGIP). Also, the company will lead and support the working groups, Priority Action Plans (PAPs), and task forces for the SGIP and its Governing Board (SGIPGB)
“We are pleased and honored to have been awarded the contract to support NIST as administrator of the SGIP,” stated Erich Gunther, EnerNex chairman and chief technology officer, and the project's stakeholder relationship management lead, in a press release. “We appreciate the opportunity to be a leader in this critical effort to accelerate smart grid standards development and implementation.”
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.
In other news, EnerNex recently announced the latest deliverables in a series of smart grid related Cyber Security documents providing prescriptive, actionable guidance for utilities and vendors implementing smart grid systems.
The documents, also referred to as Cyber Security Profiles, are part of the 2010 phase of the Advanced Security Acceleration Project for the Smart Grid (ASAP-SG) to accelerate the development of security requirements and standards for the electric utility industry.
Rahul Arora is a TMCnet contributor. He has worked as an editor and freelance writer for several reputed organizations in India. To read more of his articles, please visit his columnist page.
Edited by Jennifer Russell