The National Energy Marketers Association’s (NEM) executivecommittee will vote on a final draft of a National EnergyTechnology Policy at the group’s Industry Leadership Roundtable onOct. 30 and 31 in The Woodlands, TX in an attempt to implementuniform internet standards and tax incentives to upgrade the U.S.energy infrastructure.

The Technology Policy Development Team believes that immediatenationwide implementation of Standardized Information Protocols(SIPs) to lower energy costs and achieve economies of scale isnecessary. “Developing a standardized information protocol for useon the Internet for the energy industry will save consumers moremoney than all of the unbundling that has taken place to date,”said Craig Goodman, president of NEM.

With e-commerce transactions in the U.S. forecasted to grow from$27 billion in 2000 to $266 billion by 2004, NEM said there is anopportunity to take advantage of a seamless, low-cost, andefficient data and information exchange which will lower the costsof energy services and enhance reliability.

“The retail energy industry does not have a bricks and mortarbase (an energy store on every corner) that will strand priorinvestments or impede the speed with which restructuring canoccur,” said Goodman. “However, there are and will be considerableinvestments necessary in information systems, billing, metering,back-office and customer care networks that must be encouraged andmust facilitate the lowest cost delivery of energy services toconsumers.”

If the executive committee approves the policy, NEM plans ontaking it to every commissioner in the country as well as the nextpresident of the United States.

Invitations to the roundtable have been extended to leaders in theenergy services, metering, information, technology andtelecom-bandwidth industries. For information on the IndustryLeadership Roundtable, or for copies of NEM’s National EnergyTechnology Policy, contact NEM at (202) 333-3288 or www.energymarketers.com.

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