Smart meters have given rise to fears about Big Brother, not only on Kauai, but mainland states and countries like England. 

But uncomfortable, or even illicit, analysis of personal data — such as when you are home or what type of coffee maker you are using — will unlikely be carried out by electric companies. 

Utilities throughout the country are struggling just to make sense of the reams of information that smart meters are generating, The New York Times reports. 

Electric companies aim to use the data to help integrate more renewables onto electric grids, better control power losses and make it easier to calculate electric bills. For consumers, the meters can provide them with greater control and knowledge about their energy use — and hopefully aid energy efficiency. 

But many companies are saying that as of now they lack the staff and expertise to assess the information.

Read The New York Times’ post here. 

For the debate on Kauai’s smart meters, you can read Civil Beat’s story here. 

(Photo credit: Department of Energy)