By Jesse Berst

 

Many early advanced metering projects were sold (expressly or implicitly) on customer empowerment as the holy grail -- allowing customers to see, understand and control their energy usage.

 

Meanwhile, FERC Chairman John Wellinghoff has declared demand response as the killer application, since it will allow demand to compete equally with supply.

 

And many operations experts say voltage optimization is the big winner, since it increases efficiency and can often pay for itself in months.

 

What do you think? Customer empowerment, demand response, voltage optimization … or something else? Stop by our Tuesday Topic forum to see what others are saying about the smart grid's killer app and/or to weigh in with your own comments. Go to the forum >>

 

Jesse Berst is the founder and chief analyst of Smart Grid News.com. He consults to smart grid companies seeking market entry advice and M&A advisory. A frequent keynoter at industry events in the US and abroad, he also serves on the Advisory Council of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's Energy & Environment directorate.