Intel charter member of new Consortium on Digital Energy

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Late last week energy research company New Energy Finance announced the charter members of a new organization started to develop a better understanding of what the energy infrastructure of the future will look like. From the release

The CoDE Charter Members recognize that unprecedented change is happening to the world’s energy system: grids based on massive centralised fossil fuel plants are having to integrate distributed, renewable, intermittent capacity; plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles are beginning mass penetration; and consumers are demanding unprecedented control over their energy use. There are new types of data to manage – data on carbon footprints, on liberalised pricing, on resources and on usage patterns. The cost of sensors and communications has dropped dramatically. All of this means that in the next 10-20 years, and in some areas much sooner, the world’s energy infrastructure will undergo transformation similar to that which has rippled through the media and telecommunications industry

“Digital Energy is about the convergence of the traditional energy, telecom and IT industries. Control is switching from analogue to digital, and data is going to become pervasive throughout the system. This goes far beyond just network optimisation of the existing grid. We’ll be looking at key issues such as: Who owns the data? Who is responsible for making it secure? How will it be moved around or stored? Will all this be done by energy utilities, telephone companies or software companies? How should players in the energy industry prepare themselves for this future? Are there ways for new entrants to build powerful franchises?” said New Energy Finance Chairman and CEO Michael Liebreich.

Charters members include energy stalwarts such as Duke Energy, telecom companies like Vodafone, and tech industry giant Intel.