| Smartgrid2: We were right about cable
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| | planned to take the best existing
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| modems and BPL is next
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| | solutions and test them for commercial
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| Former European cable execs see BPL
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| | roll-outs throughout Europe ."
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| parallels
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| | Walsh expects BPL's role to expand as
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| Firm poised to ease BPL's entry into
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| | green power generation projects such as
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| Europe
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| | home-based generation, solar panels, wind
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| Reproduced from the Jan 30 issue of BPL
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| | farms, tidal power and more start
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| Today with the permission of the
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| | populating the grid. Interconnection with
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| publisher, GHI LLC (+1-202-298-8201,
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| | those projects will make managing the
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| Two former vice presidents of reportedly
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| | reliability of the grid ever more
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| Europe 's largest triple play firm
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| | complicated -- and some look to BPL as an
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| started a BPL integrator/operator called
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| | obvious answer to managing that
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| Smartgrid2.
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| | complexity.
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| Tom Walsh and Patricia McGrath were
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| | They saw cable get smart
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| executives at UPC Broadband -- now owned
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| | BPL reminds Walsh of the early days of
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| by Liberty Global. The Netherlands-based
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| | cable. People in 1997 told him cable
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| firm grew from a 200-user cable modem
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| | modem networks "couldn't happen, it
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| trial network in Amsterdam in the mid 90s
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| | wouldn't work -- we were dreaming." BPL
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| to a customer base of over 1.5 million
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| | is in roughly the same position as cable
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| cable broadband subscribers in 14
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| | was then -- with a lack of standards,
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| countries in 2002. Walsh was vice
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| | some engineering challenges in creating
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| president of engineering and then
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| | networks plus it's got its nay sayers.
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| operations and McGrath was vice president
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| | The broadband boom in Europe was similar
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| of network planning and implementation.
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| | to "the wave that's building for smart
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| The two left UPC and in 2005 they started
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| | grids. "Cable traditionally was a
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| Smartgrid2 in Ireland . They looked at
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| | one-way, wire-based distribution network.
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| various alternative technologies and soon
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| | Sounds familiar.
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| found BPL.Smartgrid2 is convinced BPL is
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| | Cable modem technology introduced
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| the technology it had been looking for
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| | tremendous advantages by adding IP to
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| and set its sights on deploying BPL for
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| | those networks.
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| utility services and retail triple play
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| | Suddenly the operator could see the
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| throughout Europe .
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| | condition of every piece of gear on the
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| Walsh and McGrath spoke to us Thursday
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| | network all the way to the customer's
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| from their headquarters in County Kerry
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| | modem.
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| in Southwest Ireland .Walsh is CTO and
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| | That gave Walsh a brand new kind of power
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| McGrath is director." Europe will offer
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| | in making financial decisions. He could
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| incredible opportunity for 'smart grid'
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| | make choices on where to spend money on
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| technology players for the next 10
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| | the network -- based not on which
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| years," said Walsh. He believes the key
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| | technology officer in field wrote the
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| for BPL technology firms to succeed in
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| | most compelling request, "but on actual
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| Europe will be to maintain a presence
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| | live statistics," he stressed.
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| without draining resources and funds.
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| | His operational crews -- that had only
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| Smartgrid2 ( ) is set up to help. The
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| | ever been reactive -- could now act
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| firm's been trying to land BPL projects
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| | proactively based on real-time data and
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| with utilities but like everywhere,
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| | "before stuff breaks." Walsh would set
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| European utilities have resisted.
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| | targets and key performance indicators
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| EU's pushing BPL
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| | for his managers and then "see how they
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| "Utilities have been slow to come to the
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| | were doing -- not based on a score card
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| table so far -- but here in Europe the EU
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| | but actual real statistics, real facts."
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| is actively pushing the technology," said
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| | QUOTE OF THE WEEK: All of a sudden you
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| Walsh. Why is the government of Europe
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| | had huge efficiencies coming into the
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| pushing BPL?
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| | operation which means you gave better
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| A BPL initiative is underway to "overcome
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| | end-service to the customer. At the same
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| the energy challenges presented by a
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| | time you were able to reduce costs of
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| rapidly expanding [EU] membership where
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| | providing the service. This was all
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| demand is outstripping supply," Walsh
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| | happening in the cable sector probably in
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| reported. He and McGrath are involved in
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| | the years of 2002, 2003. Take that
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| that government effort and they're
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| | benefit and combine it with BPL and you
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| confident "it will happen," she added.
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| | are making that business case look much
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| The firm wants to introduce to Europe
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| | rosier.
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| some of the main players in the BPL world
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| | Tom Walsh, CTO, Smartgrid2
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| "that have existing and proven
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| | These folks have scaled
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| technologies and proven business cases so
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| | Another similarity with cable is the
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| that we can jump start some technology
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| | problem utilities face in scaling data
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| trials.
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| | networks to cover entire utility
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| "We believe that some of the strongest
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| | footprints. Those are the same problems
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| players have a great opportunity to be in
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| | Walsh tackled with cable-based broadband,
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| at the beginning" -- with a real
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| | he reminded.
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| possibility to turn those trials into
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| | It takes "business nerve" to wait for the
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| commercial deployments.
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| | opportunities to ripen -- and then
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| Smartgrid2 hopes to avoid "open-ended
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| | capital to take advantage of the moment
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| science experiments -- that I think have
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| | when it's right.
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| been some people's experience in the
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| | Superior technology will win out, he
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| past," said McGrath. Some of the
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| | added. "For us, 'smart grids' is nothing
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| utilities in the EU are trying to
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| | new.
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| "reinvent the wheel," she added -- and
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| | "We deployed similar technology on
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| Smartgrid2 wants to show them wheels are
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| | communications networks and quickly
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| "already out there," she added.
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| | realized the operational benefits when
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| The challenge for Smartgrid2 is to make
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| | scaling is handled correctly."
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| deals with international BPL technology
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| | While Smartgrid2 works on landing utility
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| firms including US firms and represent
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| | contracts, the firm has started deploying
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| them in Europe .
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| | MDU networks in the hospitality industry
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| The name says it all
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| | in Ireland .That work helps the firm add
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| Smartgrid2 learned early that utilities
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| | hands on experience with BPL plus
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| aren't usually interested in hype about
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| | generate revenue. ( )
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| the broadband business. True to its name,
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| | An invitation to Europe
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| the firm is focused on utility
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| | Grids around Europe offer various
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| applications and sees that market
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| | challenges and "customizing hardware and
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| offering huge potential. Commercial
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| | software for individual markets is
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| broadband is a side benefit that can be
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| | crucial," said Walsh. "A partnership with
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| delivered by firms that lease bandwidth
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| | the right European player can ease that
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| from the utility, he noted.
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| | pain.
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| But the need for the 21st century smart
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| | "We are actively seeking to represent
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| grid is urgent. The EU grew from 15 to 27
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| | manufacturers over here." Smartgrid2
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| countries in the last 3 years, Walsh
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| | partnered with a firm that's got 180
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| reminded. Many have rapidly growing
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| | trained, certified line crew workers "who
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| economies that are putting incredible
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| | excel on the physical installation of
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| demand on power grids.
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| | utility gear.
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| These states have limited raw resources
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| | "Any executive struggling with how to
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| for energy production and a lack of
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| | hit Europe should get in touch. "If they
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| organization in the power interconnection
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| | are serious and can deliver, we'll be
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| between countries. The EU doesn't have a
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| | happy to help them exploit the European
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| system to manage the grid or know "who's
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| | opportunities we uncover through our role
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| producing power" and who's using it.
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| | in the advisory and working groups."
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| "Smart grid efficiency and control are
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| | Smartgrid2 isn't married to any
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| finally being seen as the way to
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| | manufacturer or chipset, Walsh reported,
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| integrate and manage the various
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| | and that lets it "work in an unbiased way
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| networks" -- and cut reliance on
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| | to select best-of-breed technologies.
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| generators outside the Union , said
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| | "The smart grids principle is not new.
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| Walsh.
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| | "It's been [used] in the telecom sector
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| Meanwhile less developed nations in the
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| | for over four years and has
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| EU are trying to build their economies
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| | revolutionized both technical and
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| and getting access to broadband is a key
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| | operational management.
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| ingredient. "Pilot projects are being
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|
