The second annual GridWise Global Forum will be held Nov. 8-10, 2011, at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, DC. On the heels of a widely praised inaugural Forum, the 2011 event will again bring together many of the most inspiring national and global thought leaders, top policymakers and cutting edge innovators to discuss the critical need to modernize and expand electric systems around the world. These internationally recognized leaders will emphasize the importance of smart grid for sustained economic growth and the health of our planet.
“Better communication and sharing of best practices among the world’s regulators, technologists and business leaders is vital to implementing strategies to further the rapid development and deployment of smart grid around the world,” said Guido Bartels, chairman of the GridWise Alliance and Co-Chair of the 2010 event. “The inaugural GridWise Global Forum far surpassed our expectations in facilitating a free and open exchange of ideas among these leaders. Further, we look forward to once again working in partnership with the United States Department of Energy in making the 2011 GridWise Global Forum a success."
Featured speakers from the 2010 Forum included: Steven Chu, Secretary, United States Department of Energy; Samuel J. Palmisano, Chairman, President and CEO, IBM; Jeffrey R. Immelt, President and CEO, GE; Michael G. Morris, Chairman, President, and CEO, American Electric Power; Dr. Kandeh Yumkella, Director-General UNIDO and Chairman of the UN Energy and Climate Change Advisory Group; Richard Jones, Deputy Exec. Director, International Energy Agency and former US Ambassador; Jon Wellinghoff, Chairman, United States Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; Tom Kuhn, President, Edison Electric Institute; Professor Wu Jiandong, Director, Smart Energy Research Team, China Center for International Economic Exchange (CCIEE); Pulitzer Prize winning author Tom Friedman; as well as over 20 utility CEO’s, 15 governmental department heads, five foreign ministers and many others.
The second annual Forum, featuring two and a half days of smart grid dialogue, will create additional opportunities for speakers and attendees to learn from one another and work together to achieve a transformed electric grid. Panel sessions will be supplemented by keynote addresses, roundtable discussions and networking receptions leveraging participation from the wider network of business, regulators and academia.
