A smart grid requires smart electric meters that let households track and manage their power consumption in real time. The Obama administration wants 40 million homes to have technology like this installed within the next three years. But smart meters require smart consumers—or at least attentive ones—and most people don’t think about their energy use until it’s time to pay the bill or until the lights go out.
7 WAYS TO FIX THE GRID, NOW:
Power to the People
Generate Electricity Everywhere
Deliver Clean Energy to Distant Cities
Store Power in Super Batteries
Monitor the Electrons in Real Time
Trade Electricity Like Pork Bellies
Think Negawatts, Not Megawatts