VentureBeat's upcoming GreenBeat 2009 conference (November 18 to 19) is focused on the Smart Grid. It has launched an "Innovation Competition" to discover the best ideas that "wield significant impact on the power grid's ability to become smarter."

The top nominees -- selected by their carbon reduction potential -- will get a chance to pitch " luminaries such as Nobel Prize winner and former Vice President Al Gore, as well as Venture Capitalist John Doerr and leading executives from companies such as PG&E, Oracle, IBM, Cisco and General Electric."

Matt Marshall, founder of VentureBeat, said: "There's no higher calling for entrepreneurs, in my view, than the one to tackle what could be the greatest challenge of our lifetime."

But nominees will have to act quickly. The deadline is November 4.

More details are here: GreenBeat 2009 Innovation Competition