By By Kevin McCarty
April 27, 2009

Conference President Miami Mayor Manny Diaz joined with U.S. green industry leaders to unveil “Energy Smart Miami,” a massive financial commitment to change how electricity in the City of Miami and Miami-Dade County is used and managed, which could make the city and its region a global test bed for the application of “smart grid” technologies.

At a April 20 press announcement in Miami, Diaz and other public and private sector officials touted the transformative potential of this proposed two-year, $200 million modernization of the area’s electricity infrastructure, an investment that would deliver new options to homeowners and businesses to control their electricity usage and costs, increase energy efficiency and help curb greenhouse gas emissions.

“The Energy Smart Miami Initiative is an investment in the future of our city, our residents and our neighborhoods, and is an important step towards creating the green jobs of the future and building a clean energy economy,” Diaz said. “This initiative meets the Obama administration’s goal of investing in alternative and renewable energy, ending our addiction to foreign oil, addressing the global climate crisis and creating millions of new green jobs. I look forward to working with our partners in the private sector to create a model of putting the economic stimulus plan in action and breaking ground right away.”

The initial phase of Energy Smart Miami, slated for completion by the end of 2011, calls for the installation of more than one million advanced wireless “smart meters” in every home in the City of Miami and throughout Miami-Dade County, along with the installation of smart meters for most businesses.

“An intelligent energy infrastructure can accelerate American leadership, create jobs, help increase our standard of living and drive sustainable growth,” said Cisco Systems Chairman and CEO John T. Chambers of Cisco. “Cisco believes that as the U.S. builds out a smart, secure energy grid for the 21st century, networking technology will serve as the platform and public-private partnerships will be key to the success. We are proud to be part of this important effort in Miami.”

Another partner of the Energy Smart Miami alliance discussed the benefits of a smarter energy grid and how Miami is serving as a model for other U.S. cities. “Energy Smart Miami will be an outstanding example of 21st century technology enabling our vision of a more diverse energy portfolio supported by a dynamic, flexible and smarter energy grid. We congratulate the mayor and citizens of Miami for committing to a cleaner, energy-efficient future. This is a great example for cities across America -- and the world,” said GE Chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt. Immediately following the Miami announcement, GE officials are citing the growth potential of investments in smart grid technology, spurred by the Obama Administration’s economic recovery initiatives, with GE along predicting revenues of $3-4 billion annually within a few years.

Florida Power & Light Company (FPL), which serves the area, will use this enhanced platform to deliver more information and greater control over electricity use to their customers, while giving FPL new capabilities to improve system efficiency and reliability. With its open network architecture, the investment is expected to stimulate new businesses and products, especially new applications that support consumers in managing electricity usage in real time.

“Through Energy Smart Miami, FPL will significantly accelerate and expand our capital investment program to help Miami-Dade County customers more quickly realize the benefits of an intelligent electrical infrastructure. The City of Miami is a natural focal point given the Mayor’s longtime environmental advocacy and leadership,” said FPL Group’s Lew Hay. “However, Energy Smart Miami represents the beginning, not the end, as it is the cornerstone of a $700 million investment in smart meters to every residential FPL customer in Florida.”

Other Alliance partners joining with Diaz, Chambers, Hay, and Immelt were Silver Spring Networks Chairman, CEO and President Scott Lang and Miami Dade College President Eduardo Padrón, who hosted the announcement at Miami Dade College’s downtown campus.

South Florida native Carol Browner, the former U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator and now President Barack Obama’s point person on energy and climate change, praised Diaz’s initiative and its economic recovery benefits. “With the Recovery Act, President Obama demonstrated his commitment to developing a bigger, smarter, stronger electric grid that will not only reduce our energy costs but also reduce our energy use,” she said. “There’s no time to waste. It’s time for action. I commend Mayor Diaz for creating a plan that will put these recovery dollars to work and make Miami a smart grid model for cities across our country. With projects like Energy Smart Miami, we can stimulate the economy today and build a brighter, cleaner tomorrow. It’s truly a win-win for Miami and for America.”

In addition to smart meters, the initiative also embraces a wide range of other technologies to improve electricity delivery and better manage electricity usage, including: Smart-Grid Automation and Communications; Renewable Energy Integration; Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (300 plug-in hybrid electric vehicles are to be added to the FPL fleet serving Miami-Dade County); and Consumer Technology Trials (initial trial of approximately 1,000 households in Miami-Dade County to test different systems applications). The initiative has already attracted significant media attention, with Diaz appearing on NBC’s TODAY Show and articles in national news outlets, including TIME and BusinessWeek. For more information, visit www.EnergySmartMiami.com.