A how-to guide for hacking your local utility (and what to do now that it is out there) Feb 6, 2012 Given the dangers and costs, what would motivate a well-known cyber security researcher to release detailed vulnerabilities for specific, critical infrastructure products? EnerNex Chairman and CTO Erich Gunther suspects the release - which really did happen - reflects how fed up the security community is. It's tired of being ignored by vendors and utilities that live with known vulnerabilities rather than fix them. As Erich explains, there's way more than most of us realize at stake here.  More >>

Is the smart grid industry stalled? Or accelerating? Feb 6, 2012 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.   More >> Smart meters and Big Data: A clear case for governance best practices Feb 2, 2012 You'll be hearing a lot more about Big Data - and chances are some of it will come from state regulators. IBM's Sunil Soares expects PUCs will become increasingly assertive about protecting consumers' privacy rights in the context of Big Data. That's one reason, he says, utilities need to heed governance best practices for smart meter data. He suggests four you ought to start with.  More >> OnStar takes the collaborative route to EV integration Feb 2, 2012 In an effort to develop smart grid solutions for the Chevrolet Volt, OnStar is inviting utilities, energy companies and others to take advantage of a set of its application programming interfaces to develop new apps for Volt owners. Click inside to learn what OnStar is looking for from developers.  More >> CPUC agrees to PG&E smart meter opt-out plan – angry meter opponents don't Feb 1, 2012 The California Public Utilities Commission today gave a unanimous thumbs up to a Pacific Gas & Electric Company proposal to allow customers to opt out of its smart meter program - if they're willing to pay a fee for that choice. But after a noisy and emotional meeting it was clear that this story is far from over: smart meter opponents are dead set against paying the fees.  More >> Real-life grid security bungles (and the 5 steps that can make them go away) Feb 1, 2012 Security veteran Ernie Hayden can tell some scary stories about lax security practices he's been eyewitness to during utility site visits. He worries there's too much emphasis on security compliance rather than true protection on both the physical and cyber fronts. The fix? Click for five steps he believes every utility should take now to 'bake in' security organization-wide.  More >>

Energy storage market at the substation level expected to boom Feb 3, 2012 While energy storage at the distribution substation level isn't big news (or big business) in the smart grid investment environment now, IMS Research predicts revenues will show impressive growth in the sector over the next several years – to the tune of an annual average rate of 50%. Read the story to find out why.  More >> New industry coalition tackles energy efficiency Feb 3, 2012 Texas and Oklahoma are pretty low in the rankings of energy efficient states. But a group of companies, including electric service providers cooperatives, retailers, manufacturers have joined forces to push for advanced building systems and energy-efficient products and services in the region. There's more on the new coalition inside.  More >> Note to utilities: Best-in-class consumer engagement doesn't just happen Feb 2, 2012 If utilities want to be best in class at customer engagement, they should look at practices used in competitive service industries to help them tailor their offers and communication strategies to the right segments of the market. That was one of the takeaways from the recent Smart Grid Consumer Symposium. SGCC Executive Director Patty Durand has more.   More >> Smart grid communications: TV white space may be an option soon (like we need another option) Feb 1, 2012 The smart grid communications space is already noisy and contentious. But a UK company is making the case that we should consider yet another option, this time TV white space. Click for their argument in favor, and our word of caution.  More >> California moves ahead on setting the standard for energy storage Feb 1, 2012 Brian Warshay of Lux Research outlines the highlights of a California Public Utilities Commission proposal for an energy storage policy that lays out the barriers to storage adoption – and a roadmap to deal with them. Get the lowdown on why stakeholders should be keeping an eye on this one.  More >>

THE TUESDAY TOPIC Is the smart grid industry stalled? Or accelerating? 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. Click to the discussion now >>

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