Not quite sure what the  smart grid is but it has a lot of traction Stateside where Google and Oracle are facing off

Here is a vid about what it is – cue panpipes, montage, cod science and high fives:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrcqA_cqRD8]

Here is an NYT graphic:

THE SMART GRID. Utilities are crafting new technologies to make the power grid “ intelligent”- able to automatically conserve energy.

1. SOLAR PANELS AND WINDMILLS mounted on houses generate power. If a family is generating a surplus, they can feed it back to the utility and get paid as microgenerators.

2. “SMART APPLIANCES” monitor how much electricity they’re using and shut down when power is too expensive.

3. REMOTE CONTROL consumers can permit utilities To control their non-essential appliances – like pool pumps – turning them on and off to fine-tune the grid for maximum efficiency.

4. PLUG-IN HYBRID CARS refuel using clean Electricity generated locally.

5. Locally-generated power avoids the 15 percent power-loss that occurs when you send electricity over long-distance power lines. “superconducting”

power lines route extra electricity from out-of-state utilities when demand spikes.

6. WIRELESS CHIPS let individual houses communicate with power Utilities – swapping on-the-fly information about the current price and usage of electricity.

7. WEB AND MOBILE-PHONE INTERFACES allow consumers to see how much Power their appliances are using when they’re not at home – and even to turn them on or off remotely to reduce costs.

8. ENERGY STORAGE.

When solar panels produce excess Energy, it can be stored in batteries so houses can use clean energy at night when the sun isn’t shining.