Our clunky, brownout-prone electricity distribution system is about to enter the Computer Age, and Ray Bell's smart meter could be the key.
The electric industry has been talking for decades about bringing the nation's antiquated, inefficient, glitch-prone energy grid into the Computer Age. Now, with energy demand rising twice as fast as supply, it's finally happening, thanks to a rare alignment of interests - government, business, consumer, and environmental.
Government and industry studies estimate that a modern digital energy grid could trim the country's power usage by 10%, reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25%, and eliminate the need for $80 billion in new power plants. "It's not a question of whether such a grid can be built," says Rick Nicholson, an energy analyst at the market research firm IDC, "but when."
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