This past weekend’s 100 degree heat wave in NY may have broken for now, but chances are that another “Heatpocalypse” is coming. As the weather heats up, our utility grids go into overdrive, trying to accommodate the spike in air conditioner usage, and the need for a smart grid (which we’ve been talking about forever) is even more apparent. Read on to see why it’s even more imperative than ever that we begin implementing the infrastructure for a smart grid now before temperatures rise even more.
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Several utilities have attempted to create a “smart grid” program using public subsidies that would stick low income customers with higher power bills. But the plan was rejected by regulators as it “eroded important protections for low-income customers against shutoffs. The plans unfairly target low-income customers and circumvented laws made to help struggling consumers keep the lights on. benefits are unlikely to be realized without a difficult transition period during which the luster of the promised potential of the technology is diminished by the extreme cost overruns and by reduced reliability (due to software bugs and unanticipated problems). In Maryland BGE has been under investigation regarding all it’s attempts at smart grid and smart meters. Customers are being left without power for as much as half the day all the while questioning sharp spikes in utility bills. Cities should invest in micro-generation and tri-generation where power and utility heat and cooling are provided close by without associated grid transmission losses and drastically reduce likelihood of overheating or brownouts.