South Korea is making perhaps the biggest moves towards creating a vast "smart" electricity grid with a test grid of homes equipped with new meters and applications that communicate with each other and the grid.
More than 2,000 homes have been hooked up to the test grid so far.
"The $220-million pilot project is aimed at reducing an area's electricity costs and energy consumption, through the use of smarter technologies, increased efficiency and more renewable energy sources.
The Smart Grid is about more than just Jeju; it is a strategic investment. South Korea is betting that making progress in combining smart technology and green energy in one ecosystem will allow it to build larger grids for cities. The national government - and its private partners - are also hoping that they will eventually export the system to cities around the world. As the world's urban population grows, energy consumption and costs are likely to be one of the brakes on economic development.
Pollution from carbon-based energy generation is also a leading source of greenhouse gases. Many cities would welcome the chance to reduce their carbon footprint."
Read the full story: To Build a Better Grid
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