The European Commission has presented its ideas on how to push smart grids forward, Europolitics reports. Among plans to develop common technical standards across the EU to allow for system interoperability, the commission asks that member states produce action plans for smart grid implementation. The smart grid will digitize electricity use via smart meters, which communicate consumer energy use back to the utility. Energy Efficiency News reports that Energy Commissioner Gunther Oettinger has "unveiled a report calling for all European nations to set smart meter targets by 2012." A spokeswoman from consumer organization BEUC noted that smart meters will supply utilities with a "truckload of personal data" and called for safeguards.
Full Story