8.23.09 Smart Grids Can Give People Power to Cut Electric Bills

The Pittsburgh Tribune Review reports:

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Inside a tiny office in a business park near West Virginia University, Allegheny Power is testing the power-control system of the future.

The electric meters and programmable thermostats on two office walls connect to a large television screen, which a technician uses to monitor changes in room temperature. The screen tells the tech when the air conditioning or heating unit needs to shut down.

Like other utilities across the nation, Allegheny Energy is experimenting with technologies called “smart grids” to find solutions to age-old problems — inefficient energy usage and rising electric costs.

Continue reading the article at the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review