PJM Interconnection president and CEO the keynote speaker at KEMA Utility of the Future executive conference
Terry Boston to highlight policies and technologies driving the ‘smart’ utility future
BURLINGTON, Mass. (April 21, 2009) – The president and CEO of PJM Interconnection (PJM) (www.pjm.com) will be the keynote speaker kicking off the KEMA second annual Utility of the Future executive conference June 17-19, 2009 in Washington, D.C.
PJM is the regional transmission organization (RTO) managing the largest high-voltage electric grid in North America and the wholesale electricity market that serves all or parts of 13 states and the District of Columbia. PJM President and CEO Terry Boston will offer insight into the evolving role of the grid operator in integrating new ‘smart’ grid and vehicle technologies and ‘smart’ policies needed to support industry transformation.
“What makes a grid ‘smart’ is optimizing the assets connected to it – from the generator to the end-use device,” Boston said. “One of the best examples of that is plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. When they recharge overnight, they can store off-peak wind power, and they can automatically work with the grid to provide regulation service, balancing demand fluctuations on the system. At the same time, widespread deployment of plug-in hybrids could reduce carbon emissions and dependence on foreign oil at the equivalent cost of buying gasoline at 60 cents per gallon.”
The KEMA Utility of the Future executive conference, “Navigating sustainability,” is gathering senior executives from across the energy and utility industry to discuss the changing rules and relationships underlying the transformation of the energy future. Discussions will cover regulatory and policy directions and impacts, operating a smart grid infrastructure, developments ingeneration, energy storage and plug-in electric vehicles, and implications for utility products and customers.
About PJM Interconnection
PJM Interconnection ensures the reliability of the high-voltage electric power system serving 51 million people in all or parts of Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia. PJM coordinates and directs the operation of the region’s transmission grid, which includes 6,038 substations and 56,350 miles of transmission lines; administers a competitive wholesale electricity market; and plans regional transmission expansion improvements to maintain grid reliability and relieve congestion. Visit PJM at www.pjm.com.
About KEMA
Founded in 1927, KEMA (www.kema.com) is a global provider of business and technical consulting, operational support, measurement and inspection, testing and certification for the energy and utility industry. KEMA employs 1,600 professionals in 20 countries. The firm’s North American consulting operations are headquartered in Burlington, Massachusetts. KEMA’s global headquarters are in Arnhem, the Netherlands.