NEMA: Electro Industry October 2010 - 2

Officers
Chairman Charlie Jerabek Vice Chairman Osram sylvania First Vice Chairman David J. FitzGibbon Vice Chairman & CEO ILsCO Corporation second Vice Chairman Dominic J. Pileggi Chairman of the Board & CEO Thomas & Betts Corporation Treasurer Michael Petras President & CEO GE Lighting & Industrial Immediate Past Chairman Stuart Thorn President & CEO southwire Company President & CEO Evan R. Gaddis Secretary Clark R. Silcox

COMMENTS FROM THE C-SUITE
With October designated as the Department of Energy’s Energy Awareness Month, this is an ideal time to recognize NEMA’s support for energy reliability and conservation iniatives such as a smarter electrical grid and energy-efficient buildings that will help to integrate renewable energy sources, reduce energy consumption, and ultimately reduce environmental degradation. NEMA and its activities are intrinsically linked with electrical efficiency, safety, and performance. NEMA sets the standards for excellence. Its member companies manufacture cost-effective and safe products that are integral to all stages of the electrical process in accordance with national and international standards. In this month’s issue, Unlocking the Power of Standardization, we explore NEMA’s vital role in the design, production, and distribution of products that benefit the environment, the economy, national security, manufacturers, and ultimately, the consumer. NEMA and its members play an active role in the indispensable work of developing international standards that reflect U.S. practices. We hold six International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) secretariats, administer 56 IEC Technical Advisory Groups (TAGs), and three International Organization for Standards TAGs. We also oversee a body of more than 500 standards publications, including 242 American National Standards. NEMA industry experts effectively fill voids wherever gaps are found in existing standards. We are developing standards that will guide the future of a smarter grid, high performance buildings, and other initiatives, and coordinating with such organizations as the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Internationally, we are instrumental in forming new associations, like CANENA (Council for Harmonization of Electrotechnical Standards of the Nations of the Americas). The Board of Governors recently accepted a new challenge to unlock the potential of port electrification, energy storage, and carbon footprint measurement. This follows success in Smart Grid and airport security screening, as evidenced by the publication of SG-AMI 1 Requirements for Smart Meter Upgradeability, which defines cybersecurity and functional requirements for upgrading smart meters, and IIC 1 v01 Digital Imaging and Communications in Security (DICOS) Information Object Definitions (IODs), an airport security scanning standard that was adapted from DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine). Meanwhile, the Medical Imaging & Technology Alliance (MITA), a division of NEMA, has made a number of policy recommendations to the Food and Drug Administration to ensure that innovations in imaging and radiation therapy reach patients in a timely manner. I look forward to next month when our industries come together at Illuminations Weekend: Where Leaders and Ideas Meet, to review our accomplishments in 2010, and then chart our course for 2011 and beyond. The economic environment is challenging, but I can think of no other organization better situated or more willing to produce standards that enhance safety, energy efficiency, and consumer well-being. ei

NEMA electroindustry • October 2010

Charlie Jerabek Chairman

NEMA: Electro Industry October 2010

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NEMA: Electro Industry October 2010