Epilogue
The topic of the smart grid, examined from a number of
perspectives by the contributing authors of this volume, offers
exciting opportunities, savings, benefits, and a host of
features and functionalities that are simply beyond the
capabilities of the existing grid. Moreover, taken together, the
smart grid has the potential to usher the electric power sector
into the information age, at last, as pointed out by Guido
Bartels in the preface of the book.
But as one looks at the road ahead, it is abundantly clear that
many remaining obstacles have to be overcome and pitfalls
avoided—technical, regulatory, financial, and behavioral, to
name a few—if we are to achieve the full potential benefits of
the smart grid. In this sense, the smart grid today resembles
the proverbial glass, it appears half empty to some, while
others will see it as half full. The former view is mainly
focused on the enormous costs, the many technical,
implementation, and integration hurdles. The latter view is
mainly focused on the potential gains that could be had if we
persevere and manage to get it almost right.
Fereidoon P. Sioshansi
Menlo Energy Economics
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