Smart Grid Goes Mainstream With General Electric Super Bowl Ad

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://blogs.wsj.com/environmentalcapital/2009/02/02/smart-grid-goes-mainstream-with-general-electric-super-bowl-ad/

February 2, 2009, 10:57 am

Smart Grid Goes Mainstream With General Electric Super Bowl Ad

Posted by Keith Johnson

If Super Bowl ads are a window onto the national psyche, America’s mental attic is cluttered with moose behinds, brain-devouring aliens—and the smart grid.

General Electric continued the drive to bring into the mainstream what until recently was just a wonky electricity-policy fetish—overhauling the way the country’s electricity transmission system works. http://www.nbc.com/super-bowl/commercials/video/clips/ge-scarecrow/982321/">GE’s ad featured the scarecrow from “The Wizard of Oz” scampering over electricity pylons singing “If I only had a brain.”

Plenty of clean-tech investors, utilities, and legislators figure http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/energy/2009-01-29-smart-grid-energy_N.htm">2009 will be the year of the so-called smart grid, which would turn the old, one-way power grid into an Internet-like intelligent way to move electricity from power plants to homes and businesses. It’s certainly a year of firsts, after President Obama included a reference to the country’s power grid in the inaugural address for the first time ever.

The recently-passed House version of the economic stimulus package http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/F?c111:2:./temp/~c111ypUEOO:e711:">includes $4.5 billion to modernize the electricity grid; the Senate version apparently offers a similar amount. General Electric’s scarecrow ad—like its wind-power-themed ad that ran later in the game—is part of the congolmerate’s push to get in on the energy provisions of the stimulus package. GE recently http://www.grist.org/news/2008/09/18/GooGlE/index.html?source=rss">teamed up with Google to find ways to make the nation’s power grid smarter, for example.

…

[ixion]

1. I'm all for renewable distributed energy systems, however

this "smart-grid" thing is largely PR.

If you produce more power than you use, your meter runs backwards, if you draw power, it runs forward. That's really all the information the electric company needs.

The money should go to the people to build distributed systems, not to Big Energy. Let them upgrade the system we built for them -- and for which they now charge use exorbitant prices -- with their own damn money.

I was actually very disappointed to see this in the bill, but no money for doing something that would actually help We, the People.

[OKIsItJustMe]

3. No, the "smart grid" is not "largely PR"

A smart grid would address much more than just distributed generation:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smart_grid

[ixion]

4. fair enough...however

that doesn't really help the issue at hand. Sure, it's a windfall and a boon for Big Energy, but it's not going to help electricity consumers nearly as much as it helps electric companies.

I would give the money to the people who put the money there in the first place: the taxpayer.

[kristopher]

6. You haven't got the slightst idea of what you're pontificating about.

Something you learned to do on a bar stool?

[ixion]

7. whatever... shows what you know... I built a solar energy system from the ground up

so:
a) I do have practical experience from which I speak, and;

b) I guess I don't really care what you think. :)


The system I built acts as an emergency power back up system, but I also use it to run my network and audio equipment. Works great. It gives you a great feeling of independence producing your own power.

So, tell me about your system. You HAVE built one of your own, haven't you?

[kristopher]

8. Sure, whatever...

That's why you don't have a clue about what a smart grid does or why we need it - because you "built a distributed energy system from the ground up."

BTW so did I but then we put the campfire out, went home and read a book.

[ixion]

11. your first, apparently

congrats! :hi: :party:

[OKIsItJustMe]

9. "it's not going to help electricity consumers nearly as much as it helps electric companies"

Tell you what, if it avoids another http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003_North_America_blackout">massive blackout, I'll call it money well spent.

See that big dark area, with a border that looks like my avatar? If you look real close, you can see my bicycle headlight.

[ixion]

10. I think it would defintely help with blackouts

however, it's not the problem at the moment, IMO.

[phantom power]

2. If I only had a brain.

Must... not... go... there...

[damntexdem]

5. "If I only had a brain" very well explains much of our energy history.

Now if Dem pols in Congress could only work on that courage thing. ;-)

Don't even bother with the GOP and its lack of a heart. ;-)