The Smart Grid Is Inseparable from the Internet

A session at SXSW Interactive 2012

America's electric power grid hasn't changed much since the days of Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse. Everything else has. Imminent local and global challenges from climate change to global competition make today’s approaches to planning, operating and managing the electric grid obsolete. Only the best combination of electronics, telecommunications and information technologies will ensure that consumers receive acceptable reliability, economy, sustainability, safety and customer service. The public Internet is the obvious only foundation for the new Smart Grid, but most electric utilities have yet to understand or embrace this. For this reason it’s likely that non-utility entities will have a central role in advancing the Smart Grid. Learn why a Smart Grid is essential for our future, what it’s key components are, and why electric utilities have such a hard time moving it forward. See how the Smart Grid will have to be an “e-grid” . . . or maybe the iGrid? . . . and maybe largely independent of today's incumbent electric utilities.

About the speaker

This person is speaking at this event.

Steven Collier

VP Mktg & Business Dev, Milsoft Utility Solutions Inc

Steve Collier is Vice President of Marketing & Business Development for Milsoft Utility Solutions in Abilene, Texas. Working from Austin, Texas, Steve directs Milsoft's marketing and business development activities. He also assists Milsoft with corporate strategy and business planning. Beginning with Systems Planning at Houston Lighting & Power in the early 1970s, Steve has worked as a consultant or executive with many energy, telecommunications and information technology companies in the US and abroad. He has degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Houston and Purdue University. He is an IEEE Smart Grid expert and blogs as the SmartGridMan. Steve writes and speaks widely on new and emerging energy, telecom and information technologies.