The Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) and Association for Demand Response and Smart Grid (ADS) announced they are joining forces and will now move forward as one organization under the SEPA banner.
The announcement follows SEPA’s recent move to expand its mission from a focus on utility integration of only large-scale and distributed solar to a broader view including a suite of distributed energy resources, from demand response and storage to microgrids, electric vehicles and other smart-grid technologies.
A rebranding effort is being planned for early 2016, which will include a name change that reflects the organization’s expanded mission.
“It became apparent to the boards of both organizations earlier this year that by working more closely, as a single organization, we could better serve the needs of all our members,” said Steve Malnight, Senior Vice President for Regulatory Affairs at Pacific Gas and Electric, and SEPA Board Chair. “By leveraging the considerable strengths of both groups, we will be able to participate in the evolution of the electricity business in even more meaningful ways.”
“The mission of ADS will remain alive and well at SEPA,” added Howard Smith, Manager of Distributed Energy Resource Policy at Southern Company Services, who has chaired the ADS Board. “All our board members will transition to a newSEPA Advisory Board on Demand Response andSmart Grid, which will work closely with SEPA staff. Three individuals who served on the ADS Board of Directors will now sit on the SEPA Board of Directors.”
The ADS representatives joining the SEPA Board of Directors are Chris King, Chief Regulatory Officer for Siemens Smart Grid; Frank Lacey, Vice President of Regulatory and Market Strategy for CPower; and Seth Frader-Thompson, President of EnergyHub.
“ADS has been able to accomplish a lot in 12 years,” said Dan Delurey, founder and CEO of the group. “But there is still much to do, and this combination of ADS and SEPA will create an organization that is better able to tackle the work ahead.”
ADS member companies will now be part of a growing roster of more than 1,000 utilities, technology vendors, project developers, government agencies and other energy stakeholder organizations in the SEPA network, said Julia Hamm, SEPA President and CEO.
“The issues and interests of solar, demand response and the smart grid will only become more intertwined as we move forward,” Hamm said. “With the strength of ADS added into the fold, SEPA can forge new opportunities to create an extended community, which will, in turn, produce the data and insights necessary for our industry to thrive as we transition to an increasingly clean and decentralized grid.”
