Last month, Landis+Gyr joined 16 other members of the GridWise Alliance in Washington, D.C. to showcase new technology and bring education and awareness to grid modernization activities. The Congressional Grid Innovation Expo, held in the Rayburn Office Building, was co-sponsored by NEMA and featured remarks from U.S. Representatives Robert Latta and Marilyn Strickland, co-chairs of the bipartisan Grid Innovation Caucus.

Rep. Strickland kicked off the conference by reinforcing the critical need for grid modernization: 

“Having a modernized grid is a public safety issue. Having a modernized grid is a national security issue. Having a modernized grid allows us to transition to a clean energy future where we have the infrastructure to charge cars, charge buses and do all of the things we want to do.” 

Throughout the event, our team members were able to share our role as an essential distribution technology provider and reinforce our impact in a utility's grid modernization journey, emphasizing the role our communications backbone plays to enable other reliability-focused technologies. 

The showcase featured technology from the transmission grid down to home energy management enabled by smart apps, and highlighted how new technology was helping rebuild the grid to manage a more complex energy future.

A topic not surprisingly top-of-mind for attendees? Cybersecurity. Congressional staff and representatives from the Department of Energy and Department of Trade learned that the grid must be secure from the substation to the grid edge. 

To wrap the conference, Rep. Latta reminded the audience that: "We have to make sure we're getting it right, not only on the legislative side, but also on the regulatory side." Additionally, he encouraged discussions with grid innovators, and we're excited to continue the conversation as we build a brighter energy future, together.