Transition to SGIP 2.0 Gathers Momentum
The transition of the SGIP organization to “SGIP 2.0”—a move from a federally funded organization to an industry-financed legal entity that retains a working partnership with government—is well under way. The framework of the new organization has now been established, and key leaders have been named. In the weeks and months ahead, SGIP members will have many opportunities to shape the new organization and to actively participate in its activities.
As detailed in a July 11 letter from John McDonald, SGIP Governing Board Chair, the formal launch of operations for the new organization will take place in January 2013. In order to meet that aggressive deadline, SGIP 2.0 leaders have been very busy in the seven weeks since the Portland face-to-face meeting.
Key transition activities include the following:
- Forming the legal entity: SGIP 2.0, Inc., a tax-exempt, not-for-profit membership organization, as defined by Section 501(c)(3) of the IRS Code. Registered in Delaware. (July 20)
- Forming the Board of Directors and electing officers (see below for list of board members and contact information)
- Holding two Board of Directors meetings (August 3, August 17)
- Forming five board committees and appointing chairs
- Executive Committee (Scott Ungerer, Chair)
- Technical Committee (John Caskey, Chair)
- Membership & Marketing Committee (George Bjelovuk, Chair)
- Nominating & Governance Committee (David Forfia, Chair)
- Audit Committee (Barry Haaser, Chair)
- Assigning all transition plan tasks, and those areas in the Business Sustainment Plan (BSP) referred to as “Items requiring further development,” to appropriate board committees
Several organizations have stepped forward to provide resources to assist the SGIP 2.0 Board of Directors and its committees with the transition:
- Paul Molitor (full-time), National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA)
- Don Von Dollen (half-time), Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)
- Gregory Obenchain (half-time), Edison Electric Institute (EEI)
Paul Molitor will assume the role of Transition Manager and will have accountability for developing and managing the integrated transition plan.
The work of these groups and individuals is being managed using a detailed, fully integrated transition plan, which is vital to the success of SGIP 2.0. The best way for SGIP members and other interested parties to follow progress and developments in the weeks ahead is to join the listserv for the Business Sustainment Plan Working Group (BSPWG) and to attend the BSPWG virtual meetings. The next BSPWG meeting is scheduled for Monday, September 17. Information about joining the listserv and participating in the virtual meetings is available on the NIST Smart Grid Collaboration Wiki.
In addition to following the progress of these board committees, you may want to be involved more directly in the work of these groups. Two board committees are actively seeking individuals with relevant expertise to actively contribute to their efforts:
- The Membership & Marketing Committee (MMC) is seeking members with backgrounds in marketing, public relations, advertising, sales, customer recruitment, event planning, and/or fund raising. Contact George Bjelovuk, Chair (gbjelovuk@aep.com).
- The Nominating & Governance Committee (NGC) is seeking members with experience with bylaws and operating procedures. Contact David Forfia, Chair (dforfia@ercot.com).
As the SGIP 2.0 transition proceeds, the ongoing work of the many existing SGIP workgroups—PAPs, DEWGs, standing committees, and working groups—will continue until December 31, 2012. Each of these existing groups will be working toward completion of their currently assigned tasks by year-end, and developing a prioritized list of activities to be pursued in 2013 under the oversight of the SGIP 2.0 organization, based on available funding and volunteer support. A calendar of all upcoming meetings and conference calls is available online. When appropriate, the meetings of SGIP workgroups will be used as forums to provide updates on relevant SGIP 2.0 board committees, including the following:
- SGIP’s CMEWG will work with SGIP 2.0’s MMC
- SGIP’s BOPWG and IPR will work with SGIP 2.0’s NGC
- SGIP’s PMO will work with SGIP 2.0’s Technical Committee
- SGIP’s International Task Force will work with SGIP 2.0’s Executive Committee
The weeks and months ahead will be busy as we move toward a seamless transition to SGIP 2.0, while continuing to work together to shape standards that will ensure Smart Grid interoperability. We welcome your support and encourage your active participation.
SGIP 2.0 Officers and Board of Directors
SGIP 2.0 Inc. Officers (interim)
- President—John D. McDonald
- Secretary—George Bjelovuk
- Assistant Secretary—Andy Updegrove
- Assistant Secretary—John Caskey {pending final approval}
- Treasurer—Scott Ungerer
SGIP 2.0 Board of Directors
- Chair—John D. McDonald
- Vice Chair—John Caskey {pending final approval}
- Vice Chair—Scott Ungerer
- Secretary—George Bjelovuk
The Board of Directors for SGIP 2.0 will continue to follow the stakeholder category associations of the SGIP Governing Board. During this transition period, the following members of the SGIP Governing Board have agreed to serve on the SGIP 2.0 Board of Directors until the next elections for the stakeholder categories with which they are associated:
Biographical information for these individuals is available online.
Contact SGIP Leadership and Administrator at sgipgb.administrator@enernex.com.
EnerNex serves as the SGIP Administrator under a NIST-awarded contract. For more information, click here.