States Ponder Privacy Concerns as Smart Grid Deployment Takes Shape

Vulnerable passwords, financial records or personal data are likely what first comes to mind when thinking of cyber-privacy and cyber-security. But if recent reports are to be believed, the newest and most pervasive threat to personal privacy could be the smart meter that public utilities departments are increasingly using to measure electricity consumption.

The U.S. Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 supercharged a movement that's developing a power grid that gives power to users via digital technology. But some say this smart grid might be too smart for everyone's own good. In May 2010, The Denver Post reported that smart meters can gather more data than just how much electricity a household uses. They can tell how many people live there, when they sleep and when they aren't home. Smart meters track when household members take showers, how much TV they watch or how often they use the microwave. According to the newspaper, 52 million smart meters will be in the country by 2015.