[Solson]

It's pretty clear this is a scare tactic without a whole lot of reality. Of the recently installed "smart meters" - abut 35 million across the United States, far less that 5% have "control" capability or bi-directional capability. The majority have the ability to send use to the utility with a guy walking or driving around to capture use. They can't control anything except to turn power off...which they had before.

I've seen a ton of hysteria about the smart grid which simply isn't true. It's main benefits are actually seen within the utility companies own infrastructure so they can be aware of constraints, outages, etc at their own transformers and substations.

And the reality of that is that the installations of that level are not prevalent. 40% of all power produced is lost through grid inefficiencies. The "smart grid" when it becomes reality will be used to reduce that.

If you want to be worried about anything, be worried about the reality of dynamic pricing or paying the TRUE price of energy without price controls that have been in pla for more than 20 years. Just go look at the real time pricing within PJM or other system operators.

[JRandomFreeper]

From what I've seen, my main concern is goblins hacking in and shutting down power at will. Why bomb the power plant when you can send malicious code from another country?

/johnny

[tentmaker]

"I've seen a ton of hysteria about the smart grid which simply isn't true."

You said it! Agenda 21 is a serious concern, but I can't figure out how it has been linked to smart meters. Pretty soon we'll have smart "everything", with sensors everywhere in our daily life and we'll have to deal with the security and privacy issues that go along with that. But a Luddite reaction to new technology just serves to undermine the attempts to stop Agenda 21.

[BobL]

“It’s pretty clear this is a scare tactic without a whole lot of reality.”

It’s ALWAYS easier to find out afterwards just what the implications of something is. That is the lazy way.

Yes, I have a smart meter. No, it doesn’t control my house. But yes, I may soon have pay HUGE AMOUNTS of money to operate my ac during the summer, during the hottest parts of the day, particularly if the wind isn’t blowing in West Texas.

You may want to next see what’s happening to appliances and other large power users. I value my privacy and ability to use my hardware when I want to without some ‘entity’ punishing me if I don’t do it by their rules - just like I value my freedom to drive when and where I want to, without some government person punishing me for driving at the wrong times, or on the wrong roads, by their standards...but I know that’s coming next.

It’s a shame others are so willing to simply give up their freedoms and privacy so easily.

[Gandalf_The_Gray]

The "smart grid" when it becomes reality will be used to reduce that.

I²R
It's the law!

Regards,
GtG