"Smart Grid" Technology in The U.S.

Although the U.S. has had a dynamic electrical grid since the Industrial Age, energy efficiency is nevertheless improving because "Smart Grid" technologies are being utilized across the country. This innovative system of delivering electricity relies upon two-way digitized communication between power plants and their respective consumers. Now, network operations can be monitored and controlled by devices that accurately measure and gather data pertaining to voltage, distribution and networking errors and faults.


 On the consumer end of "Smart Grids," benefits include the prioritization of energy distribution. For example, local meters and devices minimize energy consumption from home equipment of low-precedence (i.e. water heaters, washer/dryer units etc.) and reserve that power for more critical usage. Subsequently, this energy prioritization proves to be economically-friendly. The U.S. Department of Energy even estimates that these "Smart Grid" technologies will potentially save the country upwards of 100 billion dollars over a 20-year period.

However advantageous, automizing the electric industry inevitably receives public criticism. Ensuing job cuts are taking place in markets where these new technologies are implemented because electric workers are constantly being replaced by self-efficient meters and devices. Despite this, advocates for these "Smart Grid" technologies argue that the end results ultimately justify the means.



The 21st century is full of technological advances in virtually every sector of society. To deny similar advances for the country's century-old electrical grid seems, to me, to be counterproductive regardless of job losses.

Sources:
GridWiseTM: The Benefits of a Transformed Energy System - Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

http://energy.gov/oe/technology-development/smart-grid

http://www.energyfuturecoalition.org/files/webfmuploads/EFC_Report/EFCReport.pdf