The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) allocates $11 billion for smart-grid technology; $4.2 billion is intended for smart technology matching grants. It is likely that the majority of these grants will go to smart metering programs. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is expected to commit the funds by September 2010, so the timeline to qualify is short.

Are you and your utility primed to take advantage of this grant money?

Draft rules were released the week of March 9, 2009, and final rules are expected by mid-April. Find out what you need to do now to be ready to submit your application for a piece of the $4.2 billion smart-grid and advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) grant pool.

What will it take to get your business case ready in time? What preparation is required for developing a robust request for proposal? What do we know about the mechanism for getting these funds?

Whether you are just getting started with your smart grid or AMI program or are ready to develop your request for proposal (RFP), this web conference is for you. Learn how to fast-track your project and secure grant support.

Experience tells us that the typical process takes a minimum of 18 to 24 months to get a contract signed and begin deployment. But, the DOE must commit the $4.2 billion by September 30, 2010, which means the final projects will likely need to be submitted by the summer of 2010. This leaves you with approximately one year to do what normally takes up to two years. Everyone believes there will be a rush by utilities, cities, and co-operatives to get their share of the grant pool. Will you be ready to file your application?

Join us to find out about your business case strategic options, what opportunities are available, and how to safely accelerate your program. We’ll be sharing what we have learned and what you should avoid, leveraging our collective experience in support of more than 52 billion electric, gas, and water meters and $6 billion in smart-grid and AMI projects across North America, Australia, and elsewhere. Come prepared with your questions and learn how you can accelerate your smart-grid initiative.

You will learn:

• How the ARRA’s $4.2 billion potential windfall could help your smart-grid or AMI project
• How to rapidly create a viable business case
• How to develop your best procurement strategy
• How to fast-track your RFP process
• How to ensure correct vendor and technology selection
• How to minimize project risk
• How to prepare functional specification that meets your needs
• How to address the regulatory situation
• How the federal grant process works
• How we can help you successfully compete for a piece of the $4.2 billion

Who should attend:

All E Source members are welcome to attend this web conference. If you are involved in demand-side management, smart grid, or advanced metering programs, you won’t want to miss this web conference

About the speakers:
Sandy Goodwin, director of the E Source Intelligent Grid Service, has more than 20 years of utility experience with expertise in advanced metering, call centers, automated meter reading, field services and customer satisfaction.

Michael Wiebe, president of MW Consulting, has worked in the energy and communication industries since 1975. He has supported more than $5 billion in advanced metering infrastructure and advanced meter reading projects to date worldwide.