General Electric appears to be firming up its product line to take a higher profile in the Smart Grid space. It has just acquired Kelman, Ltd. for an undisclosed sum, calling it “an excellent fit” with GE’s overall Smart Grid initiative. Eighteen months ago, SGN predicted the Smart Grid sector would see consolidation starting in the 2nd half of 2008. Although we doubt they did it just to make us look good, here is General Electric right on cue.     

Silver Spring Networks has teamed with Greenbox Technology to build an energy management dashboard for customers of Oklahoma Gas & Electric. Silver Spring provided the network infrastructure. Watching these aggressive, savvy startups take on the staid electric power industry is like watching the U.S.A. Dream Team play basketball against a squad from the local retirement community.     

Following in the footsteps of GridPoint, BPL Global and Silver Spring Networks, Trilliant Incorporated has secured $40M in venture financing from MissionPoint Capital and zouk ventures. You might ask yourself this: If the Silicon Valley VCs are as smart as they think they are, why did they lose this opportunity in their own backyard to rival investors from Connecticut and London?     

In the opening keynote for the National Clean Energy Summit, former President Bill Clinton revealed smart and surprisingly specific prescriptions for a transition to a green economy. QuickTake: I disagree with Bill Clinton on most topics, ranging from his personal ethics to his taste in interns. But at least he gets the Smart Grid. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe he would have made a good First Lady after all.