Frontlines

Deck: 
Some thoughts on the battle to measure electricity consumption in real time.
Fortnightly Magazine - October 1 2000
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Frontlines

Meter Men?

 

 

Some thoughts on the battle to measure electricity consumption in real time.

How can something so simple as an electric meter bring governments, editors, and the utility industry to their knees?

This year I spent my Labor Day weekend on the computer and phone with meter industry experts, trying to understand why grown men cry over a seemingly innocent plan by San Diego Gas & Electric Co. to install a better class of utility meters so that electricity customers can watch the price spike hour by hour, rather than having to wait till the end of the month to learn the bad news.

You'll find some of the details inside this issue, in the article I researched on SDG&E's landmark effort to install real-time energy meters. But as often happens, events intervened to force the editor to leave some of the story on the cutting room floor. On this occasion, however, there was just enough time to pick up some of the fragments and hold them to light.

"I'm sure they will protest our plan. They believe utility shareholders should pay for any investment in real-time metering. Of course, that would kill any chance for AMR in California."

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