American consumers don't have to dig very deep to find another reason to object to smart meters. All they have to do is look at what European utilities are paying per meter and compare it to what U.S. utilities are paying. I've done the math and it's grim. Even worse, American utilities are doing this to themselves.
Radio frequency emissions from smart meters fall within FCC safety standards and are much lower than emissions from microwaves and cell phones, according to an independent California panel. But the group also recommended continued study of the issue.
Supervisors in California's Marin County are the latest to try a moratorium on smart meter installations, citing health concerns in their 4-0 vote this week. The action may be largely symbolic, but also highly visible.
Colorado regulators this week cut 38% from the $13 million a year Xcel Energy charges customers to pay for the beleaguered SmartGridCity pilot project in Boulder. The PUC chairman referred to the project as a "dead end."
A Silver Spring Networks executive warns that in pushing a smart meter mandate, the UK runs the risk of falling behind other major economies if it doesn't also focus on getting its smart grid infrastructure in place.
Oklahoma Gas & Electric has asked Arkansas regulators for approval of its proposal to recover costs for a smart meter and related smart grid technology project planned for its western Arkansas service area.
The smart meter gloom-and-doom fest is cranking up. Now we're seeing sign-waving protesters on street corners, websites selling anti-smart meter bumper stickers – and the media eating it up. But security expert Andy Bochman wonders if these modern-day Luddites aren't giving technology too much credit.
The greatest barrier between utilities and the realization of benefits from smart meter implementations isn't technical, it's behavioral. To avoid the high cost of uneducated customers, EMC experts Dan Pearl and Tom Rossi say utilities must move out of the simple resource provider role to become a Trusted Energy Advisor.
AT&T and Elster have agreed to work together to offer end-to-end wireless communications solutions for electric utilities. AT&T sees the move as a way to expand its market.
A California legislator has introduced a bill that would require the state public utilities commission to give customers who don't want smart meters an opt-out option. See what Jesse Berst has to say about it.
Central Maine Power has its hands full. The utility's plan to install smart meters has met with considerable heated resistance from customers who insist the meters could be health hazards.
When we last speculated about survivors of the smart meter shakeout, Sensus was barely on the radar. But now, a year later, Jesse Berst thinks the North Carolina company may in its own quiet way emerge as one of the winners. Find out why inside.
The smart meter backlash is far from over. Central Maine Power Company recently asked the state's public utilities commission to dismiss complaints that the advanced meters could be fire, health and security hazards.
Electric utilities in EMEA are continuing to roll out smart grid projects, but they aren't extracting all of the advantages they could from the opportunities intelligent networks can provide, according to a new study prepared for Oracle.
There are signs that the United States is losing ground - and investment dollars - to other countries with stronger government mandates for smart meters and renewable energy standards. Do you agree? Click inside and weigh in.
About 65 million smart meters will be installed in the U.S. by 2020, according to the Institute for Electric Efficiency's latest smart meter deployment estimate. That number represents 50% of American households.
SmartSynch and Sprint have introduced a new residential utility meter that allows utilities to automate the electric grid with AMI, demand response and SmartSynch's network management. The combined capabilities will mean continuously updated energy use data will be available to both utilities and customers.
And you thought smart meters were hard to keep up with. Get ready for a wave of smart devices with built-in power metering. Although most of the press is about home appliances, in reality the revolution will come first to the industrial and commercial markets.
SmartSynch and Verizon have introduced a smart grid solution for the residential utility market they say will make smart meter deployments faster, easier and more scalable.
There’s a lot riding on getting the business case right as utilities around the country take smart meter initiatives to their regulatory commissions. So what’s the secret sauce? In talking to experts, Jesse Berst finds it boils down to three things. Click inside for details.
France is making a jump on smart meter deployments with a decree mandating 95% deployment by 2016. That's quite a leap from the European Union's requirement of 80% by 2020.
Siemens will provide utilities with a smart grid metering solution that includes an AMIS automated metering and information system and an Energy IP metering management system.
With institutional investors eager to participate in the smart grid’s growth, meter maker Elster’s IPO may do fine in the short-term. But Jesse Berst sees only ho-hum prospects in the long-term. Click inside for his explanation. We've set up a quick poll so you can weigh in too.
Siemens plans to open up its previously proprietary Distribution Line Carrier communications protocol. The move will allow utilities to use meters made by other manufacturers within its automated metering and information system.
The global advanced metering infrastructure market has hit $1.2 billion and is expected climb to $7.6 billion in 2014. For those who pay attention to such things, that's a compound annual growth rate of almost 44%. Anticipated growth in Asia is twice that amount.
We're getting mixed signals about the vitality of the smart grid market. On the one hand, the recent DistribuTECH conference was one of the most successful ever. On the other, a well-known Wall Street analyst recently told his clients that the smart metering sector is "facing several headwinds," including weak regulatory support in the U.S. and delays in European adoption. Taking the pulse of the smart grid industry is this week's Tuesday Topic.
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