Kansas University graduate Andres Carvallo, chief information officer for Austin Energy, will discuss “smart grid” technology Friday at Nichols Hall on West Campus.

Carvallo, who received his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering at Kansas University in 1986, is leading efforts to advance such technology at Austin Energy, which provides power to 400,000 premises in the capital city of Texas and its metro area.

In general, a smart grid aims to give customers more information about their energy use so that they can conserve where and when appropriate. Utilities also can use customers’ information to adjust distribution patterns, impose variable pricing and improve efficiency.

The exchanging of information also often raises privacy concerns for customers, who might be worried about how much a utility can learn about their energy-use habits.

Austin Energy is the ninth-largest public power utility in the country, with annual revenues of $1.3 billion, and is considered a leader in smart-grid efforts.

Carvallo will speak and answer questions at 4 p.m. Friday in the Apollo Room at Nichols Hall on KU’s West Campus. The event, which is free and open to the public, is sponsored by the KU Information and Telecommunication Technology Center and KU’s School of Engineering.