On Dec 15, 4:10*pm, Van Chocstraw
wrote:
On 12/15/2009 11:31 AM, HeyBub wrote:

"[WASHINGTON] Millions of households across America are taking a first step
into the world of the "smart grid," as their power companies install meters
that can tell them how much electricity they are using hour by hour - and
sometimes, appliance by appliance. But not everyone is happy about it."

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/14/us...ef=instapundit

Tune in, turn on, drop out.


Looks like others are starting to catch on to what I posted here
months ago when the FEDS started this Obama plan for the "smart grid"
that was supposed to be so essential and necessary to enable the use
of alternative fuels. I said then that most of the claims were just
vague BS. Like the claim that it will enable you to use solar power
generated from your neighbor's house. Which makes no sense, because
we're already doing that and it doesn't require smart meters.

The biggest advantage is that it will enable time of day pricing which
will encourage people to shift some of their demand to off peak hours
and lower rates. In practice, it will result in about as much
reduction in electricity usage as $3 gasoline has in reduced demand
for gasoline. Let's face it, there isn't a whole lot you can do to
shift demand. I can see gradually moving to smart meters by using
them for new installs, replacing failed ones, etc. But to have a
huge federal subsidy and insisting that it must happen now, adding to
our deficit, is nuts.

However for the companies making the meters, the lobbyist giving
Congress gifts, it's a field day. And the environmentalist kooks
will get to feel good that they are saving the planet, regardless of
whether it amounts to anything other than billions wasted. As for
me, I'm with the guy that said what we should be doing is building
nuclear power plants. I was recently in China. While we're here
screwing our economy, they are busy industrializing at a frightening
pace. I came away with the 2 key thoughts:

1 - The cold war is over, we won and they are rapidly on the path
toward freedom and capitalism.

2 - Kruschev might still be right. The ex-commies may still bury us,
but it will be by them becoming free market capitalists while we go
the other way.