Green Options

Earlier this week, General Electric (GE), announced a huge step in towards transforming the electric grid in Houston, Texas — one of the largest grids in the United States.

GE will work with CenterPoint Energy to implement a smart grid system called Advanced Metering System (AMS) that is designed to provide Houston-based consumers with the ability to better monitor and manage electric use and cost in near real-time.

The longer I am here at the Wall Street Green Trading Summit, the less this feels like anything to do with environmentalism. At some point, when does off-setting stop being feasible, and when does carbon reduction become the name of the game?

The summit is over for today, but I wanted to throw some concluding thoughts out after an afternoon spent discussing good business models for producing alternative energy and for overhauling our current electrical grid.

After years of railing against special interests, I find myself presented with a quandary. Special interests are lining up behind the Smart Grid technology I love and, in doing so, risk saddling this cool program with the baggage intrinsic to special interests.

The European Union is investigating connecting a smart grid to solar thermal generators in Egypt and the Mediterranean. Mexico is also investigating solar thermal. Test plants have been built in Spain, California and Colorado.

President Obama’s stated desire to invest in smart-grid and broadband infrastructure syncs nicely with Google’s desire to improve the nation’s broadband infrastructure and build a smarter grid.

One of the biggest problems with wind power is that it’s often trapped in low-density rural areas. ITC Holdings wants to bring wind energy to major US city centers with the “Green Power Express”, a network of transmission lines that will move 12,000 MW of power from the Midwest to cities like Chicago and Minneapolis.

Spending in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act on environmental projects being debated in Congress right now already includes $100 billion in ‘green stimulus.’ But because of the stated preference for so-called ’shovel-ready’ infrastructure projects, long-term infrastructure projects like mass transit and a smart grid may suffer.

PG&E may be installing millions of smart meters in Northern California, but the nation of Malta (pop. 400,000) is about to become the world’s first smart grid island. IBM is building the island’s national smart grid network, which will consist of 250,000 smart meters placed in homes around the country.

Part of President Obama’s proposed economic stimulus plan includes investing in smart grid infrastructure and what better horse to hitch your trailer to right now if you’re a big American company looking to launch your new smart grid advertising campaign?

Oh, and it also helps if you own the network.

Today, President Obama delivered his first weekly address to the nation. I love these kinds of things. As archaic as the Bush administration was, I have to give them props for putting the President’s weekly address on iTunes. I expect Obama will follow suit.