Ohio Tech Bits Blog » Blog Archive » Plain Dealer: Ohio power utilities test futuristic technologies

Ohio Tech Bits Blog » Blog Archive » Plain Dealer: Ohio power utilities test futuristic technologies

An interesting article from the Cleveland Plain Dealer’s John Funk on electric utilities and the possibilities of “smart grid” technologies.

Imagine receiving a text message over your cell phone offering discount coupons to your favorite restaurant or department store if, within three minutes, you allow the electric company to turn off some circuits in your home.

Once the stuff of science fiction, such scenarios are closer than many consumers think, a team of experts said Wednesday at the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s annual conference.

Electronic coupons would be one way to get consumers to buy in to a system that many people won’t initially understand, said Christian Grant, a senior analyst with Booz and Co. But consumers’ participation is critical to such a system working.

There are a number of forces — including the coming of plug-in hybrid cars, home solar power systems and wind farms — that will kill the century-old “dumb grid,” the network of wires that distributes electricity locally.

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