Smart is the way for grids to go in future. It seems to be the inevitable way ahead given the route charted by technology. A smart grid will tell the consumer when best to switch on, also how much he has consumed already, and it will also tell the utility who and where the power is being consumed.
Fine. Sounds great. Has all the elements to get consumers to start tightening energy budgets. of course, there is some doubt about that, given the Jevons paradox which indicates that energy saved in one mode would end up more than consumed in some other usage.
But, that aside, smart grid seems to be the panacea of a time when theft and wastage rule the roost. Again, a new note of dissent has crept in. What about the hackers? What happens if they hack into the system? Who will tackel the chaos?
A year ago, an unidentified computer intruder tried to penetrate the US Lower Colorado River Authority's power generation network with 4,800 high-speed log-in attempts that originated at an Internet address in China, according to a grid official's confidential memo that was leaked to the media.
The smart grid increases the complexity of the system. There is more technology, and more networks highly interconnected to share information. You've increased the overall attack surface. You're deploying technology that is no longer in a building you control, and you are deploying it over the air, right up to the home.
When the technology is deployed at such a grand scale, it's a real challenge to manage and maintain security. The smart grid will make technology management a core part of what any utility is.
What is the confidence we have that our technology will not end up creating more troubles than solutions? Any ideas?
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