I had caught just a little bit of the precident's on-line address a couple weeks ago proposing boxes being instaled in our homes that, well "says" just how much power we're allowed to use.

When the address was over there was mention of places such as the UK and California here that are already having some kind of regulation over power use.

Anyone else heard anything on this?

Is this what you're talking about cyn?

The 'Smart Grid'
Ultimately the most significant change to America's energy usage and efficiency may be the retooling of the entire electricity grid and transforming it into a so-called "smart grid." This is essentially an amalgamation of modern technologies in the distribution and supply of electricity. It uses digital technology (such as digital electricity readers, which would replace manual readers) to coordinate supply and demand of electricity across the nation. It combines more efficient distribution of electricity to consumers with advanced long-distance transmission lines that would be able to take alternative energy sources (such as wind power) to electricity markets far away.

As such, a smart grid would introduce two-way communication between energy suppliers and consumers, allowing utilities to direct power more efficiently away from low-energy users to high-energy users depending on the time of day or need. It would also give consumers more room to create their own usage preferences by actually programming how (and when) their appliances use energy. The smart grid would also regulate electricity use of homes and businesses by being able to turn off appliances that are not being used during peak times.

The concept is simple enough and would update America's electricity infrastructure (currently running on technology not much different from its nascent stages in the 19th century) to a modern digital consumer/provider system. However, such a national grid would necessitate replacing all of America's electricity meters, as well as all transmission lines and all transformer stations, a project with a likely price tag of somewhere near $200 billion. The current stimulus package, however, commits only $4.5 billion to a smart-grid upgrading of some 3,000 miles of transmission lines and equipping about 40 million homes with "smart meters." This funding will not be enough to begin a serious overhaul of America's electricity transmission network. It is more an attempt to kick-start industry and private businesses and move them toward an eventual retooling.

On Investments and Smartmeters

Thankyou so much for finding this and typing all itup! That's part of it. From what I got and this wasn't just a couple DJ's talking as in the case of the SpongeBob commercial, which is by the way still being aired. I heard it in the wee hours just last night. Back to topic though, this was one of thoses political radio talk shows that also aired the on-line address the President had given.

He was proposing these "boxes" be installed in our homes and would emit a type of alert sound (alarm) when the alloted units of power were getting close to being used up. So I thought I'd ask all of you if you'd heard anything. Also along with this was some sort of solar panel systems set up with each residents that you could use for your power, but what ever you didn't use could be sold off to the power company. I saw this kind of system set upin the works on a Nova program. I think it was either in the UK or Scotland though.

I'll look tonight some for a transcript and may break down and watch this Offical Presidential Address on youtube. I really didn't think we're were at the point where we were going to ration power. Not that I'm a big user, but that's just a scary prospect.

Thanks again!

I think if we ration power use then we have bigger problems than I thought we did.
If this country is headed in that direction it will be a long hard change for everyone who lives here.
Right now I don't think we have enough money to start a project like that.

That's soo true!.... (Not about you not knowing like we're worse off than you thought we were! Uhhh not that we are bad off here, but your up on your knowlege of things! ehhh.. Do you know what I'm tryin' to say? I hope. Just about the lack of funs & how much of a change, gosh what'a change, that we would be in for.)

What had started the whole conversation was a woman had asked the President when we were going to get all the jobs that have been outsourced back. And I heard all this part of the address.. he said we don't want thoses outsourced jobs back and that we should that we be looking to create new jobs in the energy field. That we are lacking the man "power" with the skills to install all the lines and "stuff" needed to put this whole solar panel and box proposal into action. That there are many job opportunities there.

Also he said... that we probably haven't seen the last of jobs to be outsourced. It's horribly sad to think of though, because thoses people getting thoses outsourced jobs I know really need them, but for our country and our people's well being here, I think thoses jobs are wanted and much needed.