New 'Smart Grid' Company Established to Serve Broad Energy Conservation Markets

AKRON, Ohio, and DENVER, Nov. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Intelligent Grid Solutions, LLC (IGS), a new company that focuses on the energy conservation and efficiency revolution in the U.S. and abroad, has begun offering services to utility companies interested in pursuing smart grid enhancements.

Smart grid networks are built and operated over existing power lines and distribution grids, thus creating new high speed communications networks that touch all homes and businesses. IGS designs, builds and manages those networks and applications for their electric utility clients.

"We are extremely pleased to be participating in the exciting smart grid arena - IGS will fill an important void and offer true value-added services to utilities seeking innovative ways to address their energy management challenges," said John, P. Yeros, Chief Executive Officer of IGS.

In addition to its technological and management underpinnings, IGS also focuses on creating technical services to support various implementations, maintenance and communications for smart grid applications. Examples include: Infrastructure development, including design work and consulting services; managing and monitoring ongoing operational performance; and delivering both businesses and consumers the very highest quality energy management services.

IGS offers a proprietary software product known as GridEYE that essentially integrates all operating data/metrics into a single command and control dashboard that displays customized information/feedback for IGS' utility clients and network operators to use in managing their business more effectively and efficiently.

Mr. Yeros, former Chairman & CEO of both Medix Resources, Inc. and MPC Computers, Inc., both former AMEX firms, is joined by Jeffrey Schumacher, a seasoned expert within the energy management domain who held past positions with General Electric, IDACOMM, Power Grid Communications and Qwest Communications, as IGS' new Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer.

IGS is owned by FS Holdco, LLC, an entity comprised of FirstEnergy Corp (NYSE: FE), First Communications, Inc. (AIM: FCOM), and two private investor groups.

In addition to Mr. Yeros, the IGS Board of Directors includes:

Mr. Tony C. Banks, Chairman of the Board at IGS, and vice president of Product and Business Development at FirstEnergy Solutions Corp, FirstEnergy's unregulated affiliate. Prior to joining FirstEnergy, Mr. Banks was a consultant to utilities, energy service companies and energy technology firms. From 2000 through 2002, he was president of RAI Ventures, Inc. and chairman of the board of Optiron Corporation, which was an energy technology subsidiary of Atlas America. From 1998 through 2000, he served as chief executive officer and president of Atlas America, an oil & natural gas producer and organizer of public and private limited partnerships. Mr. Banks began his career with Consolidated Natural Gas Company, now Dominion Resources, Inc., where he held various positions, including treasurer and director of Strategic Marketing Services for its unregulated subsidiary.

Dr. Jeffrey A. Eisenach, chairman of Empiris, LLC , an economics consulting firm, and an Adjunct Professor at George Mason University Law School. With more than 25 years of experience in the public policy realm, he has held senior-level positions at the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB); in these roles he also testified before the U.S. Congress on several occasions. In addition to his extensive practical experiences, Dr. Eisenach has authored or co-authored eight books, including "The Digital Economy Fact Book;" has edited or co-edited five other books, including "Communications Deregulation and FCC Reform: What Comes Next?" and has written numerous articles for both scholarly publications and popular vehicles such as The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Investor's Business Daily, The Washington Post and The Washington Times. In 1993 Dr. Eisenach co-founded The Progress & Freedom Foundation, a non-partisan, non-profit think tank focused on the high tech sector of the economy, and, as its president from 1993-2002, he led many research efforts, including projects evaluating communications regulations and FERC regulation of the electricity segment of the market place. Former scholarly affiliations also include The American Enterprise Institute, The Heritage Foundation and The Hudson Institute while his governmental roles have included serving on the Reagan-Bush Transition Team, the Federal Communications Commission, the Virginia Governor's Commission on E-Communities, and the Virginia Attorney General's Task Force on Identity Theft. Dr. Eisenach earned his Ph. D. in Economics from the University of Virginia and a B. A. in Economics from Claremont McKenna College.

Mr. Raymond Hexamer, currently CEO of First Communications, Inc. The former CEO of SkyLAN, a provider of wireless Internet services, was also named one of the nation's top five GMs and presidents by Radio Ink Magazine in 2002. Aside from his numerous accomplishments in the communications arena, Mr. Hexamer is also involved in several community boards and was the General Chairman of the Professional Football Hall of Fame Festival in 2001. He holds a B.A. degree in Business Administration from the University of Akron.

The Honorable Mr. C. H. "Bud" Albright, J. D., immediate-past Under Secretary of the Department of Energy where he was appointed by President Bush and unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate. During his tenure in this official role, with a $ 15 billion budget, he provided leadership for both energy and environmental programs, including: Energy research and development; demonstration and deployment; environmental clean-up; and radioactive waste management. Earlier in his career, Mr. Albright was the Staff Director for the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce where he led efforts to address issues facing the telecommunications, energy, environmental and health industries. Other governmental assignments included the following: Deputy Associate Attorney General and Senior Special Assistant to the Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Division at the U.S. Department of Justice; Deputy General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; Associate Counsel on the U.S. Senate Select Committee investigating the Iran-Contra incident; Assistant United States Attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia; and legislative and personal aide to Senator Strom Thurmond early in his public service career. Mr. Albright has a B. A. degree in History and Political Science from Presbyterian College in South Carolina and a Juris Doctor degree from George Mason University School of Law.

The Honorable Dr. James C. Miller, Senior Expert at Empiris, LLC where he has broad and deep governmental, private-sector and academic experiences. Currently, he is a member of the Board of Governors for the U.S. Postal Service where he was appointed by President Bush and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 2004 and served as Chairman from 2005-2008. In addition, he serves as Senior Advisor to the international law firm of Husch Blackwell Sanders, LLC and serves on the boards of four mutual funds and the Board of Clean Energy Fuels, Inc. Dr. Miller is also a Distinguished Fellow at both the Center for Study of Public Choice and the Mercatus Center at George Mason University; Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University; and board member of Americans for Prosperity. From 1985-1988 he was Director of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and served in President Reagan's Cabinet and the National Security Council as well during that time. Previously, Dr. Miller was the Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) from 1981-1985. Over the course of his distinguished career he has authored more than 100 professional journal articles; has authored, co-authored and/or edited nine books; and has testified in a wide variety of litigation and regulatory matters. Dr. Miller has a B. A. in Economics from the University of Georgia and a Ph. D. in Economics from the University of Virginia.

Mr. Peter M. Hayes, Manager of Public Affairs for the Salt River Project (SRP), a water and power utility based in Phoenix, Arizona; in this capacity, he directs the SRP's federal, state and local governmental relations functions whereas from 1985-1991 he headed their Congressional and Federal relations functions. In addition, Mr. Hayes serves on the Board of Trustees of the Arizona Science Center in Phoenix and sits on the Board and Executive Committee for the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce. Prior to assuming his current position, Mr. Hayes held several key governmental posts, including: Worked on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. for Congressman John Rhodes, U.S. House Minority Leader, in Arizona's First Congressional District; served as a Legislative Assistant to Rhodes before becoming his campaign manager and successfully gaining re-elections in 1978 and 1980; served as Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary for Water and Science in the U.S. Department of the Interior in the Reagan administration; served as the Deputy Director of Congressional Liaison in the Office of the Secretary of the Interior for both Secretaries William Clark and Donald Hodel; and served as Chief of Staff for Arizona's Governor Fife Symington in 1992. Mr. Hayes has a B. A. in Political Science from Arizona State University and has completed a program for senior managers at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

About Intelligent Grid Solutions, LLC: IGS is a "smart grid" solutions company that provides sophisticated energy management services to electrical utilities seeking outside, specialized expertise in designing, building, and managing their energy conservation strategies and tactics. IGS offers a wide variety of consulting and management resources to electric utility firms that want to improve their energy efficiencies and management practices; we serve markets in the U.S. and abroad. Please visit www.IntelligentGridSolutions.com or www.gridsrus.com for more detailed information on the products and services the company offers.

    Intelligent Grid Solutions, LLC
    6471 East Radcliff Avenue
    Englewood, CO   80111
    1-877-889-GRID or 1-877-889-8743
    www.intelligentgridsolutions.com
    www.gridsrus.com