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From: "Riesenberg, Kurt" <kur_riesenberg@nema.org>
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Subject: Funding Discussion at Upcoming C12.17 WG Meeting
Date: Fri, 5 Sep 2003 11:47:05 -0400 
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Status:   

To:	Members C12.17
Fr:	Kurt Riesenberg, NEMA Industry Manager
Re:	Funding Discussion at Upcoming C12.17 WG Meeting

All

Please be advised, following a discussion that I had with you earlier this
year at NEMA, a meeting with the NEMA member companies was recently held to
discuss C12 funding (among other issues).  This meeting was between NEMA
management and senior executives of the three companies, Elster, Landis +
Gyr and GE, that have been fully funding the activities of your group for
many years through NEMA.

You recall the issue being that there are many participants to C12 (.17
specifically) benefiting from the technical standardization work, while only
these three companies pay for the activity.  The last 3 years alone have
cost the members nearly 200,000.00 in expenses to support NEMA technical
staff facilitation of your meetings.  As these projects have been ongoing
for some time, the NEMA members have expressed justified concern regarding
continued expenses for future activity falling solely on them.  

I will be attending your meeting on Thursday, 11 Sep 2003 around 9am, to
discuss this specific situation again with you.  Following the meeting at
NEMA, several questions are being posed to the group that will be the focus
of our discussion Thursday morning.  I will consolidate the committee's
position and responses to the questions and relay them to the executives of
the NEMA member companies for consideration in their funding decisions for
2004 and beyond.  Please review the questions below and come to the meeting
prepared to discuss as a group:

		1.	What is the value of these standards to the
customer?  (Specifically for watt-hour meter & communications standards).
Are the contents still relevant and current to existing and future
marketplace?
		2.	What was the business case for the standards that
the committee is working on at the time of their initiation?
		3.	Does this business case still stand?
		4.	Are there any efforts ongoing to consider regional
and/or international standards and their potential impact on the
marketplace?
		5.	Who is benefiting the most from development of these
standards?
		6.	What was the anticipated completion time for the
standards being worked on, compared to actual time they have been being
worked on?
		7.	What level of funding would the committee be
prepared to incur for continued standards development efforts?
		8.	What methods are available to you to reduce future
meeting expenses?
	9.	What is the priority rating for the various technical
activities being pursued by the committee?  

I believe that addressing these questions will be good for all parties, as
they will require you to take a critical look at the work you are spending
your valuable time and money on, and they will provide a better
understanding for me and the NEMA member company's management of the
activities of your committee.

Looking forward to seeing you in St. Louis on Thursday.

Regards

Kurt
 
 
Kurt P. Riesenberg
NEMA Industry Manager
(P) 703-841-3226
(F) 703-841-3326
kur_riesenberg@nema.org 
www.nema.org