Here comes just about the perfect Fox News story line. As the Obama Administration boosts stimulus money for smart-grid installation, National Grid, a utility company installing the new technology in New York state, says the energy delivery and monitoring technology may provide prime information to evildoers looking to carry out “targeted attacks” on the nation’s “critical infrastructure.”
As required by law, National Grid filed its bid for service publicly with the state, but the London-based company redacted and deleted portions, telling the Albany, N.Y., Times Union that the information could be used “to plan and carry out a targeted attack on specific utility infrastructure…”
The Times Union adds that “Central Hudson Gas & Electric, which is based in Poughkeepsie and serves parts of southern Albany County as well as Greene and Columbia counties, has also withheld sensitive information from its smart-grid filing…”
Meantime, smart-grid meter installation is wrapping up in Boulder, which will be one of the nation’s first fully smart-grid cities. Roughly 50 meter boxes are being installed per day. By June, Xcel will be able to communicate by the minute with Boulder households that volunteer to participate in the real-time electricity use monitoring program.
In other words, watch for Fox’s over-the-top Glenn Beck to do companion segments on the special new terrorist risks smart grids pose and how Obama will soon be recording your refrigerator habits!
