By Jesse Berst

Over the past few years, we've documented the gradual appearance of cloud-based smart grid services. Some observers believe major utilities will never switch to cloud computing for major applications. They will never give up the control and never let their data off site.

Others say major utilities will all switch to the cloud. They simply won't be able to afford the hardware, software and personnel to manage Big Data and to implement robust cyber security.

And then there is Telvent's Jeffrey Meyers, who says what we really need is a partly cloudy grid. (If you click the link to see Jeffrey's idea, be sure to read the insightful comments from readers that appear at the bottom.)

What say you? Will we be best off with a sunny grid? A cloudy grid? Or a partly cloudy grid? A lot of IT careers are riding on getting the answer right. Click here to join the discussion >>

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.

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