The Eilat-Eilot International Renewable Energy Conference (www.eilatenergy.com), one of the world’s most important renewable energy events, announced today that at this year’s conference, to be held in Eilat from February 16-18, the world’s leading smart grid experts will present their vision of the future of the smart grid and the global impact it will have on reducing the world’s energy usage.

The smart grid experts set to participate in the Eilat-Eilot Conference include Mr. Guido Bartels, General Manager, Global Energy and Utilities Industry, IBM and Chairman of the Gridwise Alliance, who will be presenting his plan of how smart grid technology will reinvent the electric power network, Mr. Louis de Bruin, Communications Sector Solutions Sales, IBM Software Group, who will be addressing the architecture needed for smarter energy utility and Bazmi Husain, Head of Smart Grids, at ABB Asea Brown Boveri Ltd.

The Eilat-Eilot Renewable Energy Administration will discuss the next steps towards the development of a smart grid system for the Eilat-Eilot Region at the conference, including the establishment of partnerships with leading smart grid technology companies from around the world. Meanwhile, the Israel Electric Corporation, which recently launched its smart grid initiative for commercial and industrial consumers through the implementation of a Distributed Management System, will use the conference to unveil the next steps it will take towards expanding its smart grid program, including the installation of some 6,000 “smart meters” at selected sites across the country.

“Smart Grid technology represents one of the most promising and exciting areas of energy efficiency initiatives, and we expect Israel to be one of the leading forces in advancing practical uses for this revolutionary technology,” said Noam Ilan, Director of Business Development for the Eilat-Eilot Renewable Energy Administration. “With exciting companies such as Shai Agassi’s Project Better Place and Arnold Goldman’s BrightSource Energy, which will take full advantage of Israel ’s smart grid infrastructure, Israel is poised to bring about positive change in terms of implementing large-scale smart grid initiatives around the world. We are working to establish a smart grid in the Eilat-Eilot region, which could serve as a global testing platform for advanced smart grid technologies and allow for higher percentages of effectively used renewable energy on Israel ’s national grid.”

The conference will also feature a number of Israeli “smart grid” companies, such as Computerized Electricity Systems (CES), a company focused on advancing efficient management of electricity consumption through the installation of comprehensive and user friendly smart distribution panels; GridON, a company developing a high temperature superconducting Fault Current Limiter device that protects the grid from power disruptions and outages at the substations; and GreenLet Technologies, which is developing a highly-integrated system for the Smart Grid market, using internet, IT and power electronics and PowerCom, a start-up which has been successful in implementing an advanced, reliable and secured DynamicPLC communication system. PowerCom will demonstrate its system in the Renewable Energy Validation Center at the Arava Institute.

The 2010 Conference will also advance the planned US-Israel Smart Grid Initiative, a joint effort of the America-Israel Chamber of Commerce & Industry Inc. and New York State Economic Development Corporation to promote collaboration, joint R&D and strategic corporate alliances.

” New York and Israel share an entrepreneurial spirit and love of problem solving,” says Ronny Bassan, the Chamber’s Executive Vice President. “The America-Israel Chamber of Commerce and New York State have embraced the need for energy efficiency and related technology. We see tremendous opportunities for Israeli companies in building, operating and securing a smart electric power grid.”

The Eilat-Eilot Renewable Energy Conference, organized by the Eilat-Eilot Renewable Energy Administration in association with the Technologies Company, focuses on the latest innovations in renewable energy. Conference participants include internationally-recognized alternative energy companies, experts and investors from around the world. Some of the topics to be explored at the conference include renewable energy development in Israel , solar power, policies and regulations, energy conservation, and renewable energy technology.

About the Eilat-Eilot International Renewable Energy Conference

The Conference is an international forum encouraging discussion and debate of policies, technology, business and investment practices to lead to cost effective, doable solutions. Conference participants include leading researchers in alternative energy, government officials and policy-makers, internationally-recognized alternative energy companies and world-renowned speakers from business and academia. Over 2,000 attendees and dozens of journalists are expected to be in attendance. Some of the topics to be explored at the conference include: Renewable development in Israel , solar power, policies and regulations, energy conservation, and renewable energy technology. The conference is organized in partnership between the Eilat-Eilot Renewable Energy Administration and the Technologies Company. To learn more about the conference, please visit www.eilatenergy.com.