Smart meter data shown to change customer behaviors
Newly available and independently validated data from the MyMeter program used by four rural electric co-ops in Minnesota and from two Massachusetts programs suggests that behavioral programs in which utilities feed detailed electricity usage…
The future of Google’s Nest
Even before Google acquired Nest for $3.2 billion, the maker of the Learning Thermostat was a name brand. By taking its instantly recognizable, smart energy-saving device directly into the homes of countless Americans, Nest performed…
The Language of Smart City, part II
As in all Utopias, the right to have plans of any significance belonged only to the planner in charge. Jane Jacobs, The Death and Life of Great American Cities (1961) Illustration: Oliver Munday In a…
The Language of Smart City, part I
We want our tools to sing of not just productivity but of our love of curiosity, the joy of wonderment, and the freshness of the unknown. —Eric Paulos, “Manifesto of Open Disruption and Participation” Illustration:…
Smart Sensors
This article is part of the March 2014 special report on the Internet of Things, a network of items—each embedded with sensors—which are connected to the Internet. Sensors, actuators, and RFID tags have been around…
California’s IOUs plan to offer time-of-use rates
Customers’ acceptance or resistance to time-of-use-rates hinges on two key factors—how well the rates are designed, and how effectively they are marketed—according to Peter Cappers, a research scientist with the Electric Markets and Policy Group…
Smart grid and the connection to smart cities
Modernizing the nation’s electric grid is paying dividends for many utilities. Ongoing population growth and economic development in urban metropolitan areas makes meeting the growing demand for electricity a perpetual challenge. Utility experts advocate a…
How should utilities make a play for the smart home?
Google’s decision to buy Nest for $3.2 billion has put home energy management (HEM) in the spotlight, but mass retailers like Home Depot, Best Buy and Staples are reaching millions of people with their smart…
Breaking news
Two U.S. senators from states with declining manufacturing sectors are pushing to invest $8 billion through tax credits to create clean energy jobs. The post Democratic senators propose clean energy tax credits appeared first on POWERGRID International. [...]
Texas' top utilities regulator resigned Monday in the widening fallout from blackouts triggered by an unusually heavy and widespread winter storm that left millions in the state without power and water for days. The post Texas top utility regulator quits in fallout over blackouts appeared first on POWERGRID International. [...]
The deep freeze that knocked out much of the Texas grid has claimed a key power provider as one of its first financial victims. Brazos Electric Power Cooperative, which serves more than 1.5 million customers in the central part of the state, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The February winter storm caused extended […] The post Financial freeze from winter storm sends Texas electric coop into Chapter 11 bankruptcy appeared first on POWERGRID International. [...]
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas’ attorney general said Monday he’s suing electricity provider Griddy for passing along massive bills to its customers during last month’s winter storm. The lawsuit comes days after Texas’ power grid manager effectively shut down Griddy by revoking its access to the state’s electricity market. Griddy charges $10 a month to give people […] The post AG sues Texas utility over customers’ sky-high energy bills appeared first on POWERGRID International. [...]
A national transmission policy is one of several recommendations. A new congressionally mandated report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine provides a suite of recommendations for improving the U.S. electric power system in light of the changing energy landscape. The report also recommends ways to accelerate innovations in technology, policy, and business models as […] The post New US DOE report offers pathways to support the electricity system of the future appeared first on POWERGRID International. [...]
