Why is the grid dumb? In big part because the electricity meters in most properties are dumb.
Indeed, the electric grid will not smarten up, until smart meters are the norm in homes and businesses. A smart meter enables two-way communication between the consumer and electricity provider and creates data showing how much electricity is being used in small increments of time such as every 5 minutes or hour.
New data reveals that 46 million smart meters have now been installed in America. Smart meters were just 9% of the total in 2009 but were up to 30%, as of August 2013.
http://www.ferc.gov/legal/staff-reports/2013/oct-demand-response.pdf.
Smart meters immediately report when a property has lost electric service and enhance reliability. They also make possible many electricity offerings or products like the popular weekend free option that Direct Energy has offered in the PPL electric service territory. The smart meters allow consumers to customize their purchase to maximize savings and convenience.
With smart meters now at 30%, the grid is gaining intelligence but has much further to go.
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