Smart grids – electrical grids that allow two-way
communication between utilities and consumers – represent an
exciting frontier in the Internet of Things, with ramifications for
energy efficiency, weather resiliency and climate change, among
others. As the Department of Energy writes, "[t]he Smart
Grid represents an unprecedented opportunity to move the energy
industry into a new era of reliability, availability, and
efficiency that will contribute to our economic and environmental
health."
But like many aspects of the Internet of Things, smart grids
also present privacy concerns. Few people fret about the privacy of
their monthly electric bill, but smart meters could change that. Jessica Rich, Director of the FTC's Bureau of
Consumer Protection, has noted that smart meter data can tell
much more about an individual than you might initially think:
"how many people are in the house, what they do, whether
they're upstairs, downstairs, do you have a dog, when do
