The International Smart Grid Action Network (ISGAN) creates a strategic platform to support high-level government attention and action for the accelerated development and deployment of smarter, cleaner electricity grids around the world. ISGAN recognizes that robust, reliable, and smart electric grids play a key role in enabling greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions through the: - Management of electricity demand - Integration of growing supplies of both utility-scale and distributed small-scale renewable energy systems - Accommodation of an increasing number of electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles - Improvement of operational efficiency - Application of energy-efficient technologies at their full potential. Smart grids also enable better utilization of existing electricity generation assets. In coordination with the International Energy Agency (IEA) and others, ISGAN seeks to improve the potential for smart grid technologies at country, regional, and global levels. OUR VISION: ISGAN’s vision is to accelerate progress on key aspects of smart grid policy, technology, and investment through voluntary participation by governments and their designees in specific projects and programs. Its activities center foremost on those aspects of the smart grid where governments have regulatory authority, expertise, convening power, or other leverage, focusing on five principal areas: - Policy standards and regulation - Finance and business models - Technology system development - Workforce skills and knowledge - Users and consumers engagement. IGSAN facilitates dynamic knowledge sharing, technical assistance, peer review and, where appropriate, project coordination among government participants.