EnerNOC Inc. announced that it has received a 2014 Smart Grid Product of the Year award from Smart-Grid.TMCnet.com. EnerNOC’s energy intelligence software was recognized as an example of outstanding innovation in smart grid technology.

Canadian Solar Inc. has announced the opening of its Microgrid Testing Centre. The center will focus on microgrid testing as well as system design and smart grid assessment services.

The OpenADR Alliance and Wi-SUN Alliance have announced a liaison agreement to work together to enable interoperability between Wi-SUN smart utility networks and demand response programs based on the OpenADR specification.

Construction on a new energy research facility at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) campus will start this April. Research conducted there will address the smart grid, integration of renewable energy into the grid, reducing energy use in buildings, and more.

More consumers say they are willing to pay extra to invest in and support alternative energy than to improve reliability, according to the latest edition of an annual Smart Grid Consumer Collaborative (SGCC) telephone survey of 1,001 United States residential electricity consumers nationwide.

One of the challenges of relying on renewable energy, such as solar and wind, is that changes in weather conditions can lead to sudden drops in the amount of power provided. One way utilities can handle this is by “shedding,” or reducing, some of their electrical load.

Groom Energy Solutions has announced the newest release in its Enterprise Smart Grid research series, “2013 Enterprise Smart Grid and a Corporate Buyer’s Guide for Energy Management Software.” The new report is based on interviews with corporate energy, facility, and sustainability managers, vendors, and an online survey.

Rep. Jerry McNerney (D-Calif.) has introduced the Smart Grid Advancement Act of 2013. McNerney said the bill is designed to move forward the development of a more efficient electrical grid, tasking states and utilities to establish goals for reducing electrical use during peak times through the use of smart grid technologies.

The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) announced it has received approval from the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) for ANSI/NEMA SG IC 1-2013 Smart Grid Interoperable and Conformant Testing and Certification Scheme Operator Guidelines.

Davis Energy Group, Qualcomm Technologies Inc., and Synapse Electronique have joined the ClimateTalk Alliance, a nonprofit organization building a universal language designed to allow all home comfort systems to communicate.