Is the Smart Grid that’s Being Pushed History?

I guess that now, that the Smart Grid that’s Being Pushed scenario is about to become history, it’s time for reconsideration of the minimalist architecture scenario that was unveiled in the EWPC Blog post Institute For The Future’s J. Dunagan Announced the Winners of the Smart Grid 2025 Game, whose last paragraph repeated that:

“In order to do what we need to do today to create the best possible future plausible scenario for the smart grid, the emergent, inclusive, holistic, simple, and minimalist, Electricity Without Price Controls Architecture Framework (EWPC-AF) was shown to have what it takes, in at least four of the ten engagements, that mutually reinforced each other, initiated by the EWPC-AF_Creator. For that outlier performance, it deserves to be given an opportunity to be widely known all over the whole world. Denying it such opportunity I humbly understand would be unfair to humanity.”

In the November 2012 EWPC Blog post IMF to encourage professional decisions about electricity, written to influence the International Monetary Fund mission that was in the Dominican Republic, earlier this month, we may see that we might already be beyond the Smart Grid altogether, as the post states:

“Looking at the emerging model of the power industry, I have written several articles and posts about the Smart Grid that's being pushed. Now I am adding two words to write about the regulator oriented Smart Grid that's being pushed, which, as a systemic consultant on electricity, I strongly believe is bound to be replaced by the customer oriented Smart Market that's being pulled, under the Value Added Electricity minimalist architecture (formerly EWPC-AF).”

With excellent timing for the Dominican Republic, where I believe that the systemic whole of the electric power industry is trying to emerge, the energy and electricity policy white paper, "Getting Smarter About the Smart Grid" became available yesterday, November 26, 2012, published by the National Institute for Science, Law & Public Policy (NISLAPP) in Washington, D.C.

That report was authored by smart grid technology expert Timothy Schoechle, PhD, an international consultant in computer engineering and standardization, high-tech entrepreneur and former Faculty member of the University of Colorado, College of Engineering and Applied Science. Well in accordance with the March 2010 EWPC Blog post Is the Smart Grid that is Being Pushed a Costly Mistake?, the press release (long form) Smart Grid Funding Misspent On Obsolete Technologies, Says New Report summarizes the story as follows:

“Billions spent with taxpayer dollars on ‘smart meters’ will not lead to U.S. sustainability; Place citizens and economy at risk.”

The press release adds that “Schoechle says the present policy approach to electricity infrastructure in the U.S. evidences a ‘fundamental lack of understanding of the problems associated with the future of electricity and energy,’” Praising independent experts, the last of 7 “Opportunities to Intelligently Move Forward,” says that:

“Local communities must take it upon themselves to understand and obtain the safest and most secure technological options available for utility meters and other smart grid technologies. This education should be gained from independent experts with no vested interests in the present centralized utility paradigm. Wireless technologies should be avoided where safer more secure options exist.”