The Parliamentary Commissioner
for the Environment Dr Jan Wright has released an update to
her 2009 report, Smart electricity meters: How households
and the environment can benefit.
The update describes
the reaction to the original report, including the
Government’s response to the Commissioner’s
recommendations.
Dr Wright says that the continued lack of
leadership in the electricity sector is concerning.
“In
2009 there was an opportunity to standardise the new digital
electricity meters and make them really smart. This would
have provided a basis for reductions in peak electricity use
and benefitted the environment, along with
householders.
“Four years on there is substantial
funding going into research to make our electricity grid
smarter, but technology alone is not enough. We also need to
re-examine how we regulate our fragmented electricity
system.”
Dr Wright’s update report, is
available here. The original report is available
here.
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