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.

Always On Going Green has announced their list of who they think are the most promising green sector companies in the East. They evaluated several hundred private cleantech companies in the region, paying special attention to companies that appear likely to thrive in spite of tight credit and cheap energy. Other variables evaluated in include: the disruptive potential of the company’s technology combined with its likely feasibility; the strength of the management team; credibility of the investors; how big a market is there for the innovation; the clarity of the company’s mission; how close is the company to bringing this innovation to market; and the strength of its claim to belong to the cleantech revolution.