Disruptive technological changes are at work but utilities are hamstrung by outdates business models and regulations.
A homeowner who puts solar panels on his roof immediately slashes his monthly electricity bill and gains a measure of independence from the utility. As more distributed energy technologies take hold, utilities in the U.S. are wondering out loud what their future holds.
Honeywell and Opower offer energy efficiency and peak power reduction software through app-controlled thermostats with the hope of attracting more consumers.
Smart meters are often seen as a technology to link the electricity grid and homes, but smart thermostats appear to be gaining more attention from technology providers and utilities.
U.S. utilities and industries face a rising number of cyber break-ins by attackers using more sophisticated methods, a senior Homeland Security Department official said during the government’s first media tour of secretive defense labs intended to protect the U.S. power grid, water systems and other vulnerable infrastructure.
Recent Comments