The nation's electricity industry is in for an overhaul. Power lines spread across the country are finally moving into the digital age with smart grids that provide instant information on energy consumption. The hope is that people can finally deal with the impending climate crisis by using less energy. So smart grid leaders are creating thermostats that cut off depending on the price of power -- and plug-in hybrid cars to charge at night or even put power back into the grid. Barack Obama's stimulus package contains about $4.5 billion in grants for smart-grid investments.
Here are five ongoing Smart Grid projects:
Boulder, CO: Boulder is aiming to become the world's first smart grid city by the end of 2009. The city has partnered with Xcel Energy on the $100 million effort and customers can use the Internet to lower their thermostats or home or change the temperature on their furnace.
Worcester, MA: National Grid will be building a smart grid pilot in Worcester. The pilot, believed to be the largest in New England, will work towards creating a highly reliable modern grid that can provide customers with energy use information, automation, and the ability to control how they use energy.
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