[Akiba] Interesting article from the Wall Street Journal on a pilot Smart Grid test in Colorado, aptly named "Smart Grid City"...[/Akiba]

A groundbreaking 'smart grid' test in Boulder, Colo., is delivering some surprises for both consumers and utilities

A bold experiment is transforming this college town into a living laboratory by changing the way utilities manage -- and customers use -- electricity.

Participants in the project, called SmartGridCity, can go online to see exactly how much power they're using or calculate how much it cost to crank up the hot tub the previous evening.

Soon, they'll be able to program some appliances over the Web and even choose where they want their electricity to come from. They might set their dishwasher to run only when wind power is available, for instance.

The plan will also give the local utility, Xcel Energy Inc., a vastly bigger reach. To ease strain on the power grid, Xcel will be able to reach into a neighborhood remotely and temporarily turn down thermostats or shut off hot-water heaters in participating homes.

Link

[Akiba] Don't forget to check out the cool interactive graphic here...[/Akiba]

WSJ Smart Grid Interactive Graphic Link

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Technology Supported Human-World Interaction
written by Lynn Marentette, March 21, 2009

Akiba,

Thanks for this post. I "re-blogged" the content on my blog.

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written by Akiba, March 21, 2009

No problem. Glad you found it interesting

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