Part 2: Meet 6 more 2012 Smart Grid Companies to Watch contenders

Below and on page 2 you'll find our second installment highlighting contenders in this year's Smart Grid Companies to Watch search. (If you missed the first installment, you can find it here.) Be sure to check back as we'll be posting more companies all week long.

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HOW IT WORKS: Our team reviewed all of the nominations submitted by readers (and there were more than ever!) and we did a preliminary sort. Posted below is the second set of smart grid companies that made the cut and will proceed into the voting round. What you'll see below are abbreviated versions of the text that was provided by the person who nominated the company. We have not verified the information for accuracy. Typically we would, but in this case we wanted you to see what the reader said. After we're done listing all of the 2012 contenders, we'll ask you to vote for the 12 finalists.

Alstom Grid: Alstom is definitely a smart grid player to keep an eye on: financially strong and aggressively pursuing this space globally with internal R&D and external acquisitions. This past year, Alstom extended their ‘King of the Control Room’ with two strategic acquisitions: UISOL and Psymetrix.

UISOL's DRBizNet system is the clear choice for addressing the rapidly changing DR processes and managing a wide range of control technologies across all customer classes. Psymetrix's PhasorPoint system is established industry leader in its ability to provide real time monitoring and analysis of power systems for wide area control and monitoring. With these investments and Alstom’s existing suite of smart grid solutions, it makes them a company to watch in 2012. Learn more about Alstom Grid >>

Direct Energy: Direct Energy, one of North America’s leading energy and energy-related services providers, is a Smart Grid Company to Watch for 2012 because it continues on its quest to be the most recommended provider of innovative smart-grid enabled applications and products to homes and businesses in North America – focused on bringing solutions which make a positive difference in customer’s lives.  Already, Direct Energy is leading the market for smart grid-enabled pre-paid electricity in Texas – giving consumers better prices, more convenience and greater flexibility.  In addition, Direct Energy has made a fundamental switch away from traditional and complicated time-of-use rates to consumer-driven time-variant pricing structures, bringing its “Free Saturday” to consumers in Pennsylvania. Learn more about Direct Energy >>

Nexgrid: Nexgrid is one to watch for 2012. Their complete software and hardware solution is unparalleled in the industry. Many companies provide the AMI "engine," then the dashboard and steering wheel need to be purchased from other vendors. From utility applications such as transformer loading, outage detection, load control, and metering in real time, to a customer web portal with historical and real times values all in one package is extremely rare. All this using a complete standards-based approach. Nexgrid is definitely a rising star in 2012. Learn more about Nexgrid >>

Next page: 3 more companies >>