According to GreenTech Media:As the smart grid market continues to move from the fundamental ‘blocking and tackling’ of infrastructure and communications build-out to a wide swath of new, advanced applications ranging from consumer behavior analytics, to next-gen control and protection, to greentech integration and grid optimization, we thought it helpful to once again call attention to those leading the charge. The global upgrade to Grid 2.0 has billions, if not trillions, of dollars, euros, yen and yuan on the table, as well as the future safety and security of our power grids, and it is not a job for the faint of heart. Luckily, the folks on this list are all on top of it. Are these folks in your Rolodex? If not, they should be.

For a comprehensive understanding of the companies leading the global smart grid market, please refer to The Networked Grid 150: The End-to-End Smart Grid Vendor Ecosystem Profiles and Rankings report. Lastly, if you are hoping to meet many of the Top 100 Movers and Shakers to both introduce yourself and get autographs, the best place to do that is at the upcoming 4th annual Networked Grid conference.

John Cooper, Founder, NextWatt Solutions

John Cooper has been active in the energy, telecommunications, IT services and government research industries since the mid-1980s, leading projects including utility IP networks, wireless AMI, distributed generation, demand response, energy efficiency, utility-scale energy storage, virtual power plants, and EV charging infrastructure. He’s also the co-author of The Advanced Smart Grid: Edge Power Driving Sustainability and author of The ABCs of Community Broadband, a handbook for community leaders, and his white papers and articles on the smart grid could probably fill a book as well.

According to FierceEnergy: They have shaped the technology we call the smart grid. They have the ear of energy regulators. They lead customers through the often confusing and ever changing world of energy and smart grid. And they shape the discussions we have about energy. In alphabetical order, they are all power players in their own right -- whether because of the breadth, depth and years of experience they bring to the industry or their status as an up and comer to keep a close eye on. These are the individuals who have been the most influential in energy in 2011.

John Cooper, President, Ecomergence; Co-author, "The Advanced Smart Grid"

What makes him powerful: Without a doubt, Cooper's most significant contribution to the energy industry has been his participation as an early advisor on smart grid communication, and a change agent and leader of the smart grid team at Austin Energy.

Cooper documented his thoughts and visions in The Advanced Smart Grid, which he co-authored. The book has been heralded as the "smart grid Bible" and was a critical step in sharing lessons learned at Austin Energy. For a complex industry finding its way at a time of dramatic change, clear communication of cutting edge projects and concepts like those developed inside Austin Energy and on the Pecan Street Project provides critical leadership to open the eyes of the industry to new ways of thinking about their mission.

The ideas explored in The Advanced Smart Grid -- converged infrastructure, distributed energy resource integration, consumer engagement, new utility business models, grid modernization, and the future of technology-based energy -- provide a conceptual and practical menu and roadmap to help guide smart grid planning beyond the conventional wisdom of advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) and distribution automation.

Cooper's recent work in examining and promoting the concept of Distributed Energy Services has the potential to be highly significant and influential. Technology is introducing new players to the energy industry who aim to provide tailored services to end consumers, where participation with the utility will be optional. The advent of an alternative to the monopoly of grid-delivered commodity kilowatt hours promises to be as disruptive as either smart grid or energy deregulation, driving new consumer value propositions and new business models and bringing the electricity industry closer to the consumer electronics industry.

In The Advanced Smart Grid: Edge Power Driving Sustainability, co-authors John Cooper and Andres Carvallo share insights, perspectives and lessons learned over the past decade, including case studies on building a pioneer smart grid at Austin Energy and designing an energy internet in the Pecan Street Project.
Chapter 1. The Inevitable Emergence of the Smart Grid describes how abundant, cheap sensors and advancing network technology meet the demands of empowered customers on the edge.
Chapter 2. The Rationale for an Advanced Smart Grid walks the reader through the fundamental steps to build an advanced smart grid.
Chapter 3. Smart Convergence shows how infrastructures are responding to environmental changes and emerging technologies by becoming smart.
Chapter 4. Smart Grid 1.0 Emerges provides a case study of Austin Energy's pioneer smart grid from 2003-2010.
Chapter 5. Envisioning and Designing Smart Grid 2.0 provides a case study of the Pecan Street Project and the design of an energy internet in 2009.
Chapter 6. The National Perspective on Smart Grid reveals multiple stakeholders active in smart grid in the US in 2010.
Chapter 7. Fast Forward to Smart Grid 3.0 provides a peek into a future of abundant energy and information.

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