Who Will Become the Masters of the 'Smart Grid'?

 

Via The New York Times:

If there is a consensus within the smart grid sector, it's on the necessity of getting consumers to use new digital meters, energy displays, appliance controls and pricing innovation to reduce their use of electricity.

This has been the mantra of the GridWise Global Forum in Washington this week, a convention of utilities, smart grid vendors, consultants and regulators. Theodore Craver Jr., president and CEO of Edison International, said the task involves providing essential information to customers, "so we can get them engaged around the idea of saving energy."

Largely missing from the discussion this week has been a primary but uncomfortable question for the grid coalition: Just who will be doing business with the customer as the smart grid grows? Will it be the electric utilities that now own the franchises, or companies of all sizes that want a new path to the consumer, from startup smart device manufacturers to AT&T or Home Depot or Google or Wal-Mart?

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