4/19/2010 09:00
Grand Opening of Yangzhou Smart Grid
Demonstration Center to Help China Meet
Aggressive Energy Objectives
GE Works with China to Fast Track Cleaner, Smarter, More Efficient Power Solutions
YANGZHOU, China--Monday, April 19, 2010-- GE (NYSE: GE) is working with the city of Yangzhou,
China, to become a worldwide destination for energy efficiency, reliability and sustainability by supporting
the grand opening of Yangzhou’s state-of-the-art Smart Grid Demonstration Center. With worldwide
adoption of smart grid technologies growing as a way to ensure adequate clean, affordable energy,
solutions showcased at the center will serve as a model of smart grid success for utilities across China.
High-ranking government, utility and technology executives attended today’s opening and saw firsthand
how the technology breakthroughs GE is deploying around the globe can help energy thought leaders
and engineers power success in China. The center is verifying how GE’s technologies can help China
improve the reliability, efficiency and carbon footprint of its energy delivery.
“China is emerging as a world leader in understanding the enormous benefits of readily-available,
sustainable energy as an economic growth tool,” said Bob Gilligan, vice president of GE’s digital energy
business. “The efficiency, communications and carbon-reduction deliverables of GE’s smart grid
technologies demonstrated here will help China’s government and industry meet their aggressive
environmental and business objectives.”
The center is in line with 2009’s U.S.-China Clean Energy Announcements, calling for far reaching
cooperation between the two countries to promote clean energy. China also is rapidly expanding its use
of renewable energy sources, which rely heavily on smart grid technologies to optimize their
effectiveness.
The world-class demonstration center includes a huge array of GE products that affect energy in homes,
on power lines and in a utility’s network control center. It also demonstrates communications
infrastructure that can enable citywide solutions beyond energy, such as voice and data applications.
Home energy technologies in the demonstration include advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) smart
meters—with dynamic pricing—that serve as the hub of home energy savings. Savings tools operated
through the meter include home energy management systems, programmable thermostats, smart
appliances that perform activities based on energy availability and cost and demand-response systems
that reduce home energy usage during times of peak energy demand.
Grid infrastructure and control technologies in the demonstration include automated outage identification
and restoration software, field-force automation and deployment systems and grid-wide network
management software.
The initiative also will include installation and demonstration of home-based charging stations for plug-in
hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). Teamed with dynamic pricing that encourages charging overnight,
PHEVs can enable electric cars to become more commonplace. That can reduce China’s need for oil
while greatly lowering the carbon footprint of each mile driven.
The project kicked off with a formal agreement-signing ceremony in early December of 2009.
About GE
GE (NYSE: GE) is a diversified infrastructure, finance and media company taking on the world's toughest
challenges. From aircraft engines and power generation to financial services, health care solutions, and
television programming, GE operates in more than 100 countries and employs about 300,000 people
worldwide. For more information, visit the company's Web site at www.ge.com.
GE serves the energy sector by developing and deploying technology that helps make efficient use of
natural resources. With nearly 85,000 global employees and 2009 revenues of $37 billion, GE Energy
www.ge.com/energy is one of the world’s leading suppliers of power generation and energy delivery
technologies. The businesses that comprise GE Energy—GE Power & Water, GE Energy Services and
GE Oil & Gas—work together to provide integrated product and service solutions in all areas of the
energy industry including coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear energy; renewable resources such as water,
wind, solar and biogas; and other alternative fuels.