Under a national Smart Grid effort, the American Society of Heating Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers and the National Electrical Manufacturers Association jointly are developing a standard that would provide a common basis for electrical-energy consumers to describe, manage and communicate information about electrical-energy consumption and forecasts. The first meeting on the proposed ASHRAE/NEMA Standard 201P, Facility Smart Grid Information Model, is on Aug. 30 to Aug. 31 at ASHRAE headquarters in Atlanta. The goal is to define an object-oriented information model to enable appliances and control systems in buildings, homes and industrial facilities to manage lighting, heating, ventilating and air-conditioning loads and generation sources in response to communication with a “smart” electrical grid as well as communicate information about electrical loads to utilities and other electrical service providers. Both groups see the standard as a way to drive the development of a nationwide smart electrical grid while increasing energy efficiency, security and occupant productivity in facilities. The standard is part of ASHRAE’s supporting efforts for the Smart Grid Interoperability Panel, a public-private partnership initiated by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The proposed standard’s developers will coordinate with the North American Energy Standards Board.