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Icy, Powerless Regions of the Country Illustrate Need for Improved U.S. Electric Power System

Posted on: Thursday, 29 January 2009, 04:00 CST

***Interview Alert***

WASHINGTON, Jan. 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In the Midwest and up and down the East Coast, ice and snow have left millions without power in dangerously cold conditions. Electricity consumers are experiencing the consequences of an outdated power grid that is ill-equipped to accommodate extreme weather conditions. According to Kurt Yeager, executive director of the Galvin Electricity Initiative, these weather-related blackouts do not have to be the norm.

Yeager is calling for the implementation of existing technologies to modernize the grid that could ensure a reliable supply of electricity, regardless of weather conditions. Opportunities to implement these technologies are available in the pending American Recovery and Reinvestment Act as the Obama administration is prioritizing smart grid modernization and energy efficiency programs. But Yeager and the Initiative point to smart microgrids as the best solution to quickly and effectively meet the administration's energy goals of saving money; protecting the nation's power sources; and delivering clean, alternative forms of energy to consumers in the U.S. while providing them with a reliable power source.

WHO: Kurt Yeager, executive director of the Galvin Electricity Initiative, president emeritus of the Electric Power Research Institute, chair of the World Energy Council Study on Energy and Climate Change and co-author with Robert Galvin of the book, Perfect Power: How the Microgrid Revolution Will Unleash Cleaner, Greener, and More Abundant Energy

WHY: "Ice and snow storms are predictable, and so are the snapping power lines and blackouts they cause. These power interruptions are the result of our reliance on an aging, energy-inefficient electric power system that drains our economy of at least $150 billion each year and threatens American competitiveness in the global marketplace," said Yeager. "The technology exists to modernize the grid today, but the best approach to implementation will come in the form of smart microgrids."

WHEN: Interviews are available by request. Contact Crystal Borde at 202-331-4323 or cborde@vancomm.com.

The Galvin Electricity Initiative, launched by former Motorola CEO Robert W. Galvin, has brought together the nation's leading electricity experts to reconstruct our electric power system into one that is more affordable, reliable and fuel-efficient. The Initiative has created innovative business and technological blueprints for the ultimate smart grid -- a Perfect Power System, a smart microgrid that meets the needs of 21st century consumers and provides reliable, secure electricity regardless of nature's wrath or security threats.

For more information on Perfect Power and smart microgrids, visit www.galvinpower.org.

SOURCE Galvin Electricity Initiative

Source: PR Newswire

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