The International Engineering Consortium (IEC) gave tribute to innovations by organizations in the area of smart grid at the inaugural Grid ComForum

CHICAGO - February 2, 2010 - The International Engineering Consortium (IEC) today announced the winners of the first GridVision Awards program celebrating outstanding contributions within the electronic power industry.

"The GridVision awards honor the services that represent significant advances towards the goals of a smarter, more efficient and more reliable electric power grid," commented IEC President John R. Janowiak. "The initial group of GridVision Award honorees have been chosen by a panel of industry experts as exemplifying the most innovative and effective applications of these technologies."

The 2010 GridVision winners include the following organizations:

Itron: Itron has been actively seeking partners in the smart grid space, as well as participating in clean energy projects across the country. The company's smart meters with two-way communications built in allow consumers granular control over their energy usage.

Pacific Gas & Electric: PG&E has been a pioneer in the deployment of next-generation grid infrastructure. With its SmartMeter program, it has demonstrated continued commitment to the development of customer energy management.

PECO: One of only six utilities in the country to receive major stimulus funding, PECO has pioneered new uses of its Advanced Metering Infrastructure data stream, creating significant impacts on operations and customer value of the AMI investment.

Silver Spring Networks: Silver Spring's Smart Energy Platform customizable solution offers key support for smart grid deployment and is currently adopted within utilities that serve 20% of all US consumers.

Verizon Wireless: Verizon Wireless has been aggressive in the smart grid space, looking to partner with utilities and exploring ways to include remote energy management through its IPTV or broadband packages. It is also testing energy management over its 4G long-term evolution network, promising to take higher-bandwidth services to even the most remote areas.