Nurturing a smarter electric grid

If you live in the Triangle, you may know that Forbes magazine named tech-savvy Raleigh as America’s “most wired” city. Did you know we’re also a hot spot for the “smart grid”? Smart grid is the idea of turning the electric power network into an “energy Internet,” sending electricity, as well as information, back and forth between utilities and consumers. By harnessing two-way communication and automation, and responding to vast quantities of data, smart grid will make the antiquated U.S. electric grid more efficient and reliable. It will also make solar and wind power more viable, by keeping power steady when it’s not sunny or windy.