Privacy

The huge volumes of data that smart meters will generate raise legitimate privacy concerns. Are utilities equipped to protect the customer data they collect? Who owns the data? How will it be used? Scroll down for more on privacy challenges and building consumer confidence.

Privacy and the smart grid

One of Smart Grid’s most basic promises to consumers is that real-time awareness of personal energy usage will result in lower costs, energy efficiency and a better relationship with utilities. We all hope that the increased exchange of personal data will result in a better consumer experience, as with similar experiences in the telecom and [...] Read More

SGCC to co-host a Consumer Symposium

Smart Grid Consumer Collaborative (SGCC) will co-host an interactive Consumer Symposium on Monday, May 23, as part of Clasma Events’ annual ConnectivityWeek conference at the Santa Clara Convention Center. The day-long symposium will kick off with an opening session that explores how to achieve a culture of listening and collaboration. “Gathering all stakeholders to listen, [...] Read More

Privacy remains top concern for grid customers

Health impacts from smart meters get a lot of attention from the media, but a new study from IDC Energy Insights finds for most people privacy is a far bigger issue. One area of concern, reported by Energy Risk, is that some utilities are not allowing their IT departments to be proactive in addressing security [...] Read More

Deployment at the speed of privacy education

A new report from the Energy Department suggests that utilities should deploy the smart grid only as fast as they can address and explain privacy issues. The same real-time usage data that enables new features and benefits for consumers carries tremendous privacy implications. The report recommends that utilities clearly explain what they can and can’t [...] Read More

Smart grid operators must consider security

Protecting the security of the smart grid is a big and critical job. Lockheed Martin’s smart grid expert calls the grid a network with 440 million hackable points. He paints a potential doomsday picture where hackers could blackout neighborhoods, close hospitals and even fry equipment at the backbone of the smart grid that could take [...] Read More