A lot of folks don’t realize how much automation, communication and electronics is already deployed in various aspects of electrical generation, transmission and distribution. You have to realize that power grid is probably one of the most complicated, interconnected system on the face of this planet. So caution on the industry’s part is a good thing in my opinion.

The home customer metering data is just a tiny portion of overall operations that go on behind the scene. But for the most people the meter is their only interface to the utility and that’s why this hype about making the grid ‘smarter’. The smart grid proponents should probably use terms like:

• Meter Data Management
• Home Demand Management etc.

You may get more sympathatic audience with utility.

It’s another matter those terms don’t sound very cool to your other audience.

Sorry…punchy today.

But you know my view: until a utility provides me a real time view of my data, and gives me a better price when I shift my use to off peak, the word “smart” doesn’t apply.