Platts, a leading energy information division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, is currently seeking nominations for the 11th annual Platts Global Energy Awards, which recognize excellence of companies and individuals in the global energy industry. Eighteen performance categories will be recognized. All nominations must be received by September 12, 2009 to be considered. Established in 1999, the Platts Global Energy Awards will seek to recognize corporate leaders and companies that are successfully coping with the difficult economic environment as they continue to address the domestic and global challenges of sustainable and “green” energy, efficiency and innovation.

The Smart Grid will require substantial information processing, storage and data mining resources. An entire new software sector is rising to meet the challenges and fill the many new needs opened up by its arrival. Spending on the smart grid is estimated to be $165 billion over the next 20 years (Source: EPRI) and a good portion of this will be on software and data services. Here is a list of seven of the up and coming software companies that are actively offering software for the Smart Grid, for Smart Meters, for Power Analytics, for systems focused on improving the energy efficiency of the grid, and for energy management systems for homes and businesses tied to Smart Grid networks and designed to operate with it.