"Siemens is excited to be part of the new SEPA, with its expansion into the full range of distributed energy resources including demand response, smart grids, energy storage, intelligent energy efficiency, and more," said Chris King , Chief Regulatory Officer, Siemens Digital Grid. "These are hugely important topics and continue to be a strong focus for Siemens as our industry undergoes a rapid evolution in technology and business models."
The official switch to Smart Electric Power Alliance coincides with the eighth annual Utility Solar Conference USC in Denver . The organization's trademark conference represents SEPA's ongoing commitment to solar. USC is a platform for utilities to learn best practices and address the challenges of deploying and administering solar and other distributed technologies on the grid.
"Utility integration and deployment of solar continues to be a core focus of this organization," said SEPA President and CEO Julia Hamm . "But adding high volumes of solar to our distribution and transmission grids -- while providing customers with clean, affordable and reliable power -- also means integrating a range of fast-changing and increasingly sophisticated technologies and resources.
"Our name change captures the dynamic nature of the transformation underway, while reaffirming our commitment to unbiased research and cross-industry collaboration," Hamm said.