Moreover, an industry group of sorts, the GridWise Alliance, has already formed in an effort to promote smart grid technologies.

FORBES: Magazine Article

In 2003, IBM co-founded the US-based GridWise Alliance that advocates for grid modernization, and in 2007, IBM formed the Global Intelligent Utility Network Coalition (GIUNC), a coalition of players in the energy and utilities market, which is helping accelerate the adoption and use of smart grid technologies and bringing digital intelligence to current systems.

ENGADGET: IBM announces Smarter Energy Research Institute, aims to improve energy grids (video)