Smart Energy Summit Addresses Consumer Value Proposition and Distribution Channels for In-Home Energy Management and Control Solutions

DALLAS, TX--(Marketwire - January 14, 2010) - International research firm Parks Associates today announced the speakers for the Smart Energy Summit: Engaging the Consumer. This conference, hosted in cooperation with Austin Energy, takes place January 25-27 at the Hyatt Regency in Austin, Tex.

Smart Energy Summit analyzes the consumer side of the changing energy industry and the impact of Smart Grid technologies and in-home management solutions. Sessions feature over 30 government, utility, and industry executives, offering insight into the current landscape for energy management, barriers to overcome, the mass-market potential, and deployment status of smart infrastructure and energy management devices for in-home use.

The conference also features research from Parks Associates' Residential Energy Management service, including data on consumer readiness to adopt new technologies and current usage of energy management tools. Parks Associates reports over 80% of U.S. consumers are interested in learning how to cut their energy costs, but less than one-half want to learn more about Smart Grids.

Keynote speakers include Andres Carvallo, CIO, Austin Energy; Dr. George W. Arnold, National Coordinator for Smart Grid Interoperability, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), U.S. Department of Commerce; and Bob Heffron, Utility Market Manager, Verizon.

Confirmed Speakers:

Didier Boivin, SVP, Marketing, Watteco

Kris Bowring, Sr. Director, Emerging Business, Best Buy

Susan Cashen, VP, Marketing, Control4

Steve Cashman, Chief Strategy Officer, Exceptional Innovation

Luke Clemente, General Manager, Smart Grid, GE Energy

Mike Coop, Director, Smart Grid Strategy, HomeGrid Forum

Reid Cram, Product Manager, Vantage Controls

Joe Dada, President & CEO, SmartLabs

Aaron Deyonker, Director, Product Management, eMeter

David Dollihite, VP, Product and Business Development, Mass Markets Energy, Direct Energy

Greg Ennis, Technical Director, Wi-Fi Alliance

David Friedman, Senior Director, Strategic Marketing, ZeroG Wireless, Inc.

Dan Gittleman, Chairman & CEO, OpenPeak

Vince Groff, Executive Director, Cox Communications

Brent Hodges, Director, Smart Energy Partnerships, Reliant Energy

Scott Hublou, SVP, Products, Co-Founder, EcoFactor

Jim Johnson, President & CEO, uControl

Stephen R. Johnson, Jr., Sr. Product Marketing Manager, Itron

Ogi Kavazovic, Sr. Director, Marketing & Strategy, Opower

Michael Kuhlmann, President, RCS

Brewster McCracken, Executive Director, Pecan Street Project

Letha McLaren, VP, Energy Products, iControl Networks

Kevin Meagher, CEO, Intamac Systems

Roy Perry, Director, Technology Integration, CableLabs

Thomas Pickral, Director, Business Development, HAI

Carol Priefert, Sr. Manager, Global Consumer Insights and Technology, Global Product Organization, Whirlpool

Jon Rappaport, Chairman, USNAP; Product Manager, Sensus Metering Systems

Bill Scheffler, Director, North American Sales, Z-Wave

Bill Simpson, Sr. Energy Efficiency Program Manager, Progress Energy

Michael Smith, VP Energy Solutions, Lutron Electronics Co.

Dr. Kenneth Wacks, Member, GridWise Architecture Council, U.S. Department of Energy

Gene Wang, CEO, People Power

Nate Williams, CMO, 4Home

Tim Woods, Founding Partner, POCO Labs

Visit www.smartenergysummit2010.com for more information or to register for the event.

About Smart Energy Summit

Smart Energy Summit: Engaging the Consumer, hosted by Parks Associates in cooperation with Austin Energy, is the premier conference studying the market for residential energy management enabled by Smart Grid technologies.

The event, January 25-27, 2010, in Austin, Tex., features a unique combination of market research, featuring results from Parks Associates' landmark Residential Energy Management service, and real-world expertise derived from Austin Energy's Smart Grid, the largest working Smart Grid in the U.S. http://www.smartenergysummit2010.com

About Parks Associates

Parks Associates is an internationally recognized market research and consulting company specializing in emerging consumer technology products and services. Founded in 1986, Parks Associates creates research capital for companies ranging from Fortune 500 to small start-ups.

http://www.parksassociates.com | http://www.connectionsconference.com | http://www.connectionseurope.com | http://www.connectionsindustryinsights.com

Contact Information: Contact: Mindi Sue Sternblitz-Rubenstein Parks Associates 972-490-1113 Email: mindi.sue@parksassociates.com