Reinventing the Electric Power System

Greetings from the
IEEE Power & Energy
Society (PES)

March 15, 2012
TO: Recipients of this 2012 IEEE PES
Smart Grid Reprint Journal:

OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, we have developed this annual publication to highlight articles that were
published in PES's Power & Energy Magazine during the previous year. The articles are re-packaged into this
special issue as a handy reference on various perspectives on Smart Grid (SG). With much coverage in the media, there is more public awareness of topics within the power and energy field than ever before. additionally the definition
of Smart Grid and its impact continues to grow into new industries and expanded fields of interest. PES and other
IEEE Societies are working together to develop integrated solutions that involve multi-disciplinary teams and
perspectives. Topics such as electrification of transportation are also creating partnerships with other engineering
disciplines to solve difficult system challenges.

The other interesting dynamic in the area of the Smart Grid technologies are the different challenges and solutions
in different parts of the world. Pilot projects have sprung up in many locations at all different levels of implementation.
Besides the technical challenges of delivering electrical energy in the form and location needed, recurring issues of global standards continue and new increased expectations and regulations for system integration and cybersecurity for high levels of security
and reliability continue to push engineers in our field to examine creative solutions.

This compendium attempts to create a snapshot of the key issues in the power and energy industry in 2011. Themes in this year's selected articles include the impact of smart grid technologies on distribution systems as well as how advanced computational
capabilities enable new opportunities. With six articles the compendium cannot cover all areas of interest to professionals in the power and energy field. however we have tried to include a sampling to highlight the trends and recent developments. here's what you will find included this year:

• "Charge It" provides an overview of new techniques and recent advances including microgrids, storage, photovoltaics and power electronics for a more sustainable power system.
• "I Sing the Mapboard Electric" discusses how new computer software and hardware is advancing visualization in control centers, mobile workforce resources, and common modeling and integration practices.
• "If These Walls Could Think" highlights the increasing opportunities for industry and commercial and residential customers to implement energy efficiency and demand response strategies.
• "Power to the People" outlines how Smart Grid technologies are making distribution systems more intelligent and flexible through next generation distribution automation, advanced metering infrastructure, and distributed generation.
• "Sim City" discusses the distribution system and looking at how advances in simulation and modeling techniques provide platforms for better operations and control.
• "Tools for Success" continues this theme for distribution as better user end models help improve techniques for distribution design and planning.

IEEE and PES continue to be leaders within the industry in the dissemination of smart grid advances through on-line resources, publications, conferences and education. If you are not an IEEE and PES member, we invite you to join us in this challenging and exciting effort to lead the power and energy industry to new horizons. Your ability to network with the brightest minds in the industry will pay back your investment many times over. In addition, if you're ready to learn more about Smart Grid, we invite you to log onto the IEEE Smart Grid Web Portal at the following link: http://smartgrid.ieee.org/, follow the Smart Grid tweet @ieeesmartgrid or join the discussion group "IEEE Smart Grid" on Linked In. This site and social media are intended to be your key resources for everything about Smart Grid. We hope you will get involved in developing smart grid solutions.

Sincerely,
Noel Schulz
IEEE PES President, 2012-2013
n.schulz@ieee.org