(Energy.gov)

Practically every American now has a “smart” phone, and what that means is essentially that the phone has a computer built in to it. Well, “smart” grid technology means “computerizing” the electricity grid. It communicates between the device being powered and the grid itself. The “grid” amounts to the networks that carry electricity from the plants where it is generated to consumers. The grid includes wires, substations, transformers, switches and much more. (Energy.gov)

(Smartgrid.com)

The Smart Grid automatically improves energy usage, and minimizes waste while delivering real-time information to both consumers and providers. Advocates of the Smart Grid believe that it will open up new markets for large and small scale alternative energy producers like solar, wind and bio-fuels by decentralizing generation. (SmartMeters)

As far as environmental concerns go, smart grid technology will help to reduce our carbon footprint and it will give consumers more choices on how they use their energy. Smart grid technology makes energy use more efficient and more reliable. (PGE)