The Obama administration funding for a smart grid is winding down. Energy leaders are now assessing how the project has progressed. Opponents to the smart grid and smart meters remain vocal in their opposition to the project, citing privacy, national security, and health issues among the reasons for their views.
National Rural Electric Cooperative Association won a $33.9 million taxpayer funded federal grant to modernize the power grid. The company’s chief scientist Craig Miller maintains that the smart grid and smart meters will alert utility companies more quickly about power outages, but admits that concerns about data privacy and radiation exposure have been voiced by customers. “Where the standards are lacking is absolutely a barrier to the adoption of new technology, because standards make things interoperable,” Miller said.
