Green Plug snags heavy hitter for board

Who says green tech isn't rocket science? Starting Sept. 1, green tech start-up Green Plug, which is pushing for the concept of a universal power converter, has appointed former White House advisor George Keyworth as the chairman of its board of directors.

Keyworth was Science Advisor to President Reagan and Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology. Currently, he is the chairman of the Progress and Freedom Foundation, a policy think tank focused on the implications of technology on public policy. His background includes stints in the physics division of the Los Alamos National Laboratory, where he was involved with the underground nuclear testing program.

Green Plug, which is based out in San Ramon, California, has developed a digital protocol called Greentalk that will let gadgets communicate intelligently with their power supplies in order to optimize power delivery. The company also is working on hubs powered by its UPP chip that can charge up more than one device at a time.