Last week the U.S Commerce Department issued its roadmap for Smart Grid technology.  Alcatel-Lucent has been an active participant in this effort and is working with governments and utilities around the world to help them design more efficient systems that enable individuals to make better use of the power they use and is engaged in several national, regional and international activities to promote low- carbon ICT solutions.

Alcatel-Lucent has engaged with U.S. policy makers and customers in the creation of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) programs designed to stimulate the national economy through increased broadband deployment and adoption, as well as the deployment of smart grid networks.  The broadband and smart grid programs included in the U.S. stimulus program will correlate to lower carbon emissions by improving public access to broadband resources vital for telecommuting, distance learning, telemedicine, and efficient energy distribution and consumption.

Alcatel-Lucent has more than 10 years of helping utilities transform their operational networks and today is promoting applications in Smart Grid/Metering and Smart Buildings as a way to lower greenhouse gas emissions.  We are working with DigitalEurope to promote new telecom technologies and research concepts in these Smart applications.

At a global level, Alcatel-Lucent is an active member of the World Economic Forum’s task force on “Low-Carbon Prosperity.” On September 22, the task force presented to world leaders gathered in New York proposals to accelerate private sector investment and innovation in the fight against climate change.

Alcatel-Lucent is a signatory of the following key leading global initiatives:

• United Nations Global Compact “Caring for Climate” Initiative

• “Copenhagen Communiqué on Climate Change”

• “The Green Imperative” Manifesto from the Business for Environment Global Summit (B4E)

• European Union’s Code of Conduct on Energy Consumption of Broadband Equipment