Demand response trade association gets new members

Several companies including IBM Corporation and Orion Energy Systems have joined the Demand Response and Advanced Metering (DRAM) Coalition, a trade association for the demand response industry.

Other companies, which have joined the Washington, DC-based non-profit organisation, are Eka Systems, Direct Energy, Site Controls Energy Services, Tendril and Ziphany.

Frank Magnotti, president and COO of Comverge’s Alternative Energy Resources Group and chairman of DRAM said the new companies will help DRAM in its mission to educate policy makers, utilities, the media and stakeholders on all aspects of demand response.

DRAM stated that the list of new entrants exemplifies the growing diversity of the demand response industry.

Eric Dresselhuys, vice president of marketing for Silver Springs Networks, and vice-chairman of DRAM, said there are increasingly more players in the demand response space, with either demand response as their primary business model or as a new business area added to their portfolio of offerings.

“We are seeing companies from the information technology and smart grid sectors, as well as the traditional energy efficiency area, join DRAM and support its efforts to help grow the demand response industry and deliver the unique value demand response can provide in addressing the challenges facing the electricity industry and its customers,” said Dresselhuys.