Just over a year ago my brother started his blog with a post largely about the coming “smart grid” and “smart meters” that were starting to be pushed here in Vermont. He summed up the potential issues with:
“Here’s the part that has worms crawling out of it. This same technology will also allow utilities and different departments of state government access to records of your personal lives; how much power you use & when, potentially giving them the ability to limit your usage in the name of the public good.”
Today, Investor’s Business Daily posted an editorial about a recent rules change from the EPA in the Energy Star efficiency requirements which was announced on June 27th of this year. The change included “an “optional” requirement for a “smart-grid” connection for customers to electronically connect their refrigerators or freezers with a utility provider.”
As the press release from the EPA says:
“Refrigerators and freezers with connected functionality will also be “smart grid”-ready, meaning that with consumer permission, they will be able to respond to utility signals, including curtailing operations during more expensive peak demand times.”
While the press release states the consumers have to give their permission for energy companies to take control of their appliances (in this case refrigerators and freezers, but I can easily see air conditioners being added), I have no doubt but what IBD (and my brother) are correct when they say:
“But with the Obama administration’s renewed focus on fighting mythical climate change, we expect it to become mandatory to save the planet from the perils of keeping your beer too cold.”
EPA Pushes Smart-Grid Connections For Refrigerators To Control Energy – Investors.com.
Thanks for the mention! One other little detail in the press release was that not only would the connectivity give the utility the ability to reduce energy consumption by the appliance in question (in this case, refrigerators & freezers) but to potentially turn it off completely during “high demand” periods.
As one other poster pointed out, it’s more than a little curious that as Obama moves to limit domestic energy production (other than his “green” buddies) and shutter existing coal-fired power plants that provide 40% of our energy through EPA regs, this self-same EPA writes new regulations designed to allow rationing of energy usage by the general public. Hmmmm, reduce energy availability by 40%+ and implement technology to restrict access. What could go wrong?