Consumer-driven Smart Grid

I just returned from Amsterdam, and, during the trip, I got a tour of the city's Climate Street project. In a small shopping area in central Amsterdam, the community is coming together to change their carbon footprint, and a lot of the technology in play we would attribute to the smart grid: smart meters, energy management displays, etc. They've added in some solar tram stops and solar trash cans (and an interesting reverse osmosis water feature that can be used to wash those tram stops and trash cans). But, in the end, the heart of Climate Street is good distribution.

But, what fascinated me the most about Climate Street wasn't the technology or even the massive coordination effort by the city (and the local grid operator Alliander). What fascinated me the most was the impetus, the jumping off point for this project. Climate Street started with the shopkeepers. They came together and pushed for this concept, and they got it. Climate Street was a grassroots idea.

Honestly, I really can't imagine shopkeepers in the U.S. banding together to willingly pay for changing their power structure and intake. I can see U.S. shopkeepers asking about financial benefits for programs already put in place by the utility that they didn't have to much think about or fuss with, but I just can't imagine my local Reasor's and Wal-green's putting their heads together to try and do their part to green central Tulsa.

But, perhaps I'm jaded. Perhaps I'm underestimating the American commitment.

But, back to Holland. While we were getting a Climate Street overview outside in the biting Dutch wind, a shopkeeper wheeling in wine for his dinner rush invited us into his coffee shop to view some of the features he had in place for the project, including a plug and software that reads and helps diagnose energy use. He told us that, in fact, the program has convinced him to turn off the registers and the coffee machine at night, since they were pulling so much power.

He seemed very proud of this program and very happy with its progress, even though his shop and the street were marred by serious construction issues associated with removing and replacing the connections and cables.

It made me wonder how much my local Reasor's and Wal-green's really could save if they were willing to put their heads together with Oklahoma Gas and Electric and copy the Climate Street plan.

With a two-fold plan to save money and save the world, it seems like a win-win situation, doesn't it---well worth a little thought and a bit of construction dust? If they can do it, why not us?