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• The prevailing attitude seems to be "if it ain't broke, don't fix it", and that the risks and costs of this Smart Grid endeavor far outweigh the benefits. But I propose that we don't see the full potential value of this yet, and that's what there aren't as many people out there stump-thumping and advocating Smart Grid as there should be. Apart from the aforementioned benefits (i.e. self-healing grid, more efficient grid management, cost savings), there's huge potential to help the environment and undo some of the damage that our reliance on fossil fuels has wrought upon the Earth. We're not talking about just plugging in a few wind turbines and solar panels here. There's potential to build something here that could allow us to provide 100% of our energy from renewable sources, from Nature. One such technology that could plug into this system would be the Solar Roadway (www.solarroadways.com). As solar panels become more efficient (e.g. through space technology), we will eventually reach a point where we can get most of our energy from the sun. MIT is also developing technologies that will allow us to store some of that energy in our very own homes, for those times when the sun isn't shining or the grid might be down (http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2008/oxygen-0731.html). Some of you might still think this is a pipe-dream and not worth pursuing. "Why is the government wasting our money on this?" you ask. But you lose sight of what really makes this country great - that we do dream big and set seemingly impossible goals for ourselves. The moon landing in the 1960's is the best example of this. We didn't have the technology then that we have today, and yet I am not alone in thinking that we accomplished this in record time compared to what's taking place today (as we try to get back to the moon). But I digress...
  Even if we fail at achieving our goal of a complete, nation-wide Smart Grid, the lessons we learn and the technologies we develop as part of this will spur innovation and lead to new technologies that will shape our future for generations to come. This is a responsibility far too large for industry to tackle alone. As the world's preeminent superpower, it is our country's government who must push this initiative forward. And as citizens our this great country, I think it is our duty to pay our dues in order to help out. We may not see the immediate benefit, but our children and our children's children will surely thank us and admire us for having the guts to make this change.

  June 11, 2009

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