Using smart grids to mitigate climate change will be the subject of the Association for Demand Response and Smart Grid’s (ADS) national summit in Washington DC in December 2014.
Supported by the US Department of Energy and National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, among other organisations, the agenda aims to explore how smart grid options can be used to address climate resiliency, support the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Energy Plan as well as climate change mitigation.
Climate action planning
Another focal point will be how smart grids can help increase resiliency in the face of events like Superstorm Sandy.
Dan Delurey, executive director of the Association for Demand Response and Smart Grid, said: “The summit will aim to connect the dots between smart grid and climate change, and establish an understanding that smart grid can be an essential part of any climate action planning.
“Whether in response to government emissions restrictions, like EPA’s 111(d), or in preparation for various climate change events and scenarios, like Sandy, smart grid and demand response should be a part of the discussion.
He added: “People have been asking for a venue to discuss this issue and to identify actions to support integration and coordination, and with the summit we are trying to respond to that need.”
On the agenda
The summit will feature roundtable sessions with business and government leaders, who will discuss these issues with each other and with the audience. It will also include in-depth breakout sessions in two tracks: smart grid for climate mitigation and smart grid for climate adaptation.