SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 15, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Nexant Principal Josh Schellenberg will review current practices for measuring customer interruption costs and incorporating them into reliability and resiliency planning during an upcoming webinar, Using Customer Reliability Benefits to Support Business Cases for Smart Grid Investments, hosted by IEEE Smart Grid.

This IEEE Smart Grid webinar, part of a series on varying aspects of grid modernization globally, will summarize two distribution automation case studies and include an example from the Interruption Cost Estimate (ICE) Calculator, a publicly available online tool developed by the U.S. Department of Energy, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Nexant.

The complimentary, one-hour webinar will take place from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on
October 15, 2015. To register, click here.

Schellenberg, Principal at Nexant, is a recognized expert in estimating customer interruption costs and incorporating customer benefits into utility reliability planning. Schellenberg has designed, managed and analyzed multiple interruption cost surveys for large North American utilities, the results of which have informed key regulatory proceedings. For a Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory study on the value of service reliability, he estimated an econometric model of power interruption costs for residential and C &I customers across the U.S. Schellenberg took the lead on building this econometric model into the Interruption Cost Estimate (ICE) Calculator, a DOE-sponsored online tool that utilities use to assess the value associated with reliability investments.

About IEEE Smart Grid

IEEE Smart Grid provides expertise and guidance for individuals and organizations involved in the modernization and optimization of the power grid. IEEE Smart Grid brings together IEEE’s broad array of technical societies and organizations through collaboration to encourage the successful rollout of technologically advanced, environment-friendly and secure smart grid networks around the world. Learn more at smartgrid.ieee.org.

About Nexant

Nexant is a global software and services company that helps utilities navigate a changing landscape and enable the implementation of smart grid, clean energy and demand management initiatives. Nexant solutions help utilities embrace a customer-centric model that aligns strategic planning, grid operations and demand side management to improve customer engagement, boost operational efficiency, reduce costs and achieve superior business results. See nexant.com for more.

CONTACT: Media Contact
         Heatheryn Higgins, Nexant Director of Communications
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