Barcelona, Spain – EDSO for Smart Grids (EDSO), the association of leading European electricity distribution system operators, has elected a new Chairman, João Torres. The CEO of the Portuguese distribution company EDP Distribução, was pleased to accept;

“It is a great honour for me to take on the chairmanship of EDSO. Europe is facing tremendous challenges in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, renewable energy and energy efficiency – and with the development of smart grids, the DSOs will play a very important role in reaching these ambitious EU objectives.”

Livio Gallo – the CEO of Enel Distribuzione – celebrated for his three years as Chairman, passed the baton to his co-founding member colleague and took on a new position as an EDSO Vice-Chairman.

During the same general meeting, held in Barcelona on September 16th 2013, EDSO also approved the addition of RWE Germany as its newest member. Adding 7 million consumers, EDSO now represents around 70% of electricity consumption in the EU.

Per-Olof Granström, the Secretary General of EDSO commented on the developments; “I am very pleased to see RWE Germany on board, further strengthening our important work to bring smart grids from vision to reality, and I am looking forward to an active future for EDSO with João as Chairman.”

Organised alongside the EDSO general meeting was a study visit to Endesa Red’s smart grid installations in Barcelona. A group of MEPs from the European Parliament’s Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) Committee, together with CEOs of Europe’s leading electricity distributers, visited the Solar House and Grid Operation Center, where they were able to see the smart grid technologies in action and exchange knowledge and experiences.

Contact:
Per-Olof Granstrom, Secretary General, +32 (0)497 681 074, pog@edsoforsmartgrids.eu
Joana Abreu Jackson, Communications, +32 (0)2 880 3714, jaj@edsoforsmartgrids.eu
EDSO for Smart Grids, Rue de la Science 14b, 1040 Brussels, Belgium
www.edsoforsmartgrids.eu