The 2014 IEEE Power & Energy Society (PES) General Meeting (GM) was held July 27-31 at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Md. As in past years, the IEEE PES GM provided attendees with access to insightful tutorials, technical tours, panel sessions, poster presentations and super sessions. Topics covered included energy storage, forecasting, analytics, smart grid, microgrids, cybersecurity, new technology and much more.

The attendance for the 2014 IEEE PES General Meeting was a record-breaking total of 3,123—representing 58 countries. Approximately 100 new members joined the society and more than 550 students attended. Attendees also had the opportunity to access a mobile app to help enhance their General Meeting experience, with readily available agenda information and an activity feed. More than 1,300 people downloaded the mobile app—about 42 percent of the total in attendance.

The headlining presenters of the opening session’s panels included John Rigby, chairman, president and CEO of PEPCO Holdings; Michael Howard, president and CEO of EPRI; Terry Boston, CEO of PJM; Christopher Curtis, president and CEO of Schneider Electric; Daniel Yates, CEO of Opower; and Liu Zhenya, president of State Grid Corporation of China and chairman of China Electricity Council.

Speaking to a crowded ballroom, IEEE PES President Miroslav Begovic updated members in attendance on various society activities in 2014 and planning for 2015. Under the General Meeting’s umbrella theme, “Charting the Course to a New Energy Future,” Dr. Begovic reported record membership numbers at the end of 2013—with more than 32,000, which represents the largest year-over-year gain in the society’s history.

Dr. Begovic also highlighted the society’s incredible global reach with an established 223 professional chapters and 117 student chapters worldwide. Representing a large part of its marketing initiative, PES events such as the Innovative Smart Grid Technologies Conference and T&D Conference & Expo have helped further confirm the society as a global knowledge base for all things related to power and energy, smart grid, transmission and distribution, and more.

In addition to recent awards received, Dr. Begovic provided an overview of the significant achievements the society has made in driving new standards through technical activities. The society has helped develop more than 100 smart grid related standards. Furthermore, IEEE PES helped commemorate the 100^th anniversary of the National Electric Safety Code (NESC) and prepare for its 2017 revision.

Dr. Begovic also emphasized the society’s hard work on creating and submitting—through the IEEE Joint Task Force—a report for the Quadrennial Energy Review, as requested by the U.S. Department of Energy. The QER collaborative efforts invited experts from all corners of IEEE, including IEEE USA and IEEE PES.

Attendees also had the opportunity to personally connect and network with IEEE societies, organizations and associations, and IEEE PES-related initiatives. Participants in a mini-trade show included the IEEE PES Scholarship Plus Initiative, IEEE Smart Grid, IEEE USA, IEEE Press, IEEE Community Solutions Initiative, IEEE Standards Association, IEEE Foundation, IEEE Future Directions, and many others.

Presentations and videos from the 2014 IEEE PES General Meeting are available on the IEEE PES Resource Center through the IEEE PES web site (http://www.ieee-pes.org).

Media coverage in Transmission & Distribution World magazine captured some of the  “Highlights from the IEEE PES General Meeting Opening Session.”

Members and other IEEE PES supporters are looking forward to the 2015 IEEE PES General Meeting in Denver, Colo., at the Sheraton Denver Downtown