One hot topic was the fact that GE and Whirlpool plan on adding communications modules in their appliances to give utilities the ability to turn them down during peak power demand times. According to GE Consumer & Industrial vice president Kevin Nolan in a May press release, “GE will help consumers significantly decrease power usage during peak demand periods, which will help the utilities reduce the need for more power generation and help consumers save on their energy bills.” This sounds great, but a major stumbling block remains –what communication standard will be used to get everyone talking in the same language? Will it be ZigBee, WiFi, cellular, a powerline signal, or something else entirely?

It sounds like it’s anyone’s guess. At ConnectivityWeek, GE’s David Najewicz noted that “Some of the early hardware we’re building has three radios in it.”

Obviously, the smart home appliance is on its way, and it’s going to be interesting to watch the different communications technologies jockey for position. With Whirlpool committing to smart appliances by the year 2015, and other manufacturers also jumping on board, a winning standard should emerge soon. We’ll keep watching!

While the bill isn’t specific about which technologies the money should go toward, tech companies and service providers have an opportunity to apply for grants administered by both the National Telecommunications and Information Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

ABI cites communications systems that link health networks, Wi-Fi-enabled mobile devices and video surveillance systems, telepresence, and wireless LAN equipment as potential technologies where wireless could see the most traction within the healthcare industry, while wireless sensor technology enabling building automation stands to gain a boost from the stimulus package’s green buildings initiative.

See ABI’s “The 2009 Federal Stimulus Bill” for more.