WINDSOR, CO – June 2, 2009 – Ice Energy, a leading provider of distributed energy storage and smart grid solutions for optimizing energy system efficiency and improving grid reliability, has been named a finalist in the “Smart Grid Initiative” category of the sixth annual Buildy awards, presented in conjunction with Connectivity Week.

Since 2004, the Buildy Awards have been presented to leaders, visionaries and implementers of smart devices and smart systems in the context of commercial buildings, residential, energy management and other applications.
The Smart Grid Initiative award honors an organization that has shown or launched a key initiative to enable or otherwise forward the subject of Smart Grid. The initiative must be targeted specifically to the creation of a smart electric grid to manage the generation, distribution and consumption of electricity.

“We are honored to be named a finalist in the Smart Grid category,” said Chris Hickman, Senior Vice President, Utility Solutions, for Ice Energy. “The growing industry recognition of the importance of storage as a key requirement to meeting the challenges of critical peak demand reflects a significant shift in perspective -- seeing system energy efficiency, rather than site energy efficiency, as key to the development of a cleaner, smarter, more sustainable power grid.”

By leveraging the higher efficiencies associated with generating , transmitting and storing power at night, and then dispatching it during times of peak demand, Ice Energy delivers a sustainable new energy solution equivalent to hundreds of megawatts of clean peaking power, providing utilities compelling energy, environmental and economic development benefits.

Ice Energy is a sponsor, featured exhibitor and presenter at Connectivity Week, a national convention which draws leaders from many sectors of the energy industry, June 8-11 at the Santa Clara Convention Center. The “Smart Grid Initiative” winner will be determined based upon voting by attendees at the convention and announced at the Industry Awards Gala on June 10th.