Smart Grids

Wouldn’t you want to only use electricity when you knew it was at its cheapest price? Wouldn’t it comfort you to know that the power grid knows instantly where and when a blackout occurs, and immediately works to fix the problem? How convenient would it be to know exactly how much your electricity bill is at any given time, and how your actions are affecting the cost? These are only a few of the things that are being proposed as part of “smart grid” technology, a new technology in testing stages. It is currently being supported by the Obama administration in the new stimulus package and by other government officials in proposed legislation. The hope is to update our current system with this new, smarter grid.

The power grid that is being used today can do none of the above mentioned things, which is a disappointment to many consumers who are trying to cut costs and be environmentally conscious. It is an old, patchwork system that is expensive and incredibly inefficient, because it is not nationally connected. The smart grid technologies will change almost everything about the current grid. It will become a modern, efficient, and cheaper way for electricity distribution, and it will put consumers in control of their energy use. Many experts argue that a new system is badly needed within our economy, our environment, and our homes.

Personally I feel that an overhaul of the current system is necessary. It became obvious to me with the blackouts that occurred in New York recently that electricity availability is an issue, and it is not necessarily the fault of the companies, but the dated system being used. I also think that Americans are becoming more conscious of their energy consumption and they want to do something about it, but when they don’t see a significant decrease in cost they are discouraged from reducing their energy consumption. Many people currently have electricity bills that are not in proportion to their actual electricity use. I think the smart grid has powerful implications for changing the way this country uses and manages electricity as well as our use of natural resources. This has potential to also reduce our emissions also, which will be accomplishing another objective that the Obama administration is focusing on.

For more information, check out any of the links posted within my blog, or this great video.