Computing ethics: Societal implications of the emerging smart grid

LIKE OTHER COMPONENTS of the nation's infrastructure the U.S. electrical power grid is deteriorating; the annual number of large power outages has been increasing since the late 1990s.1 Though not as catastrophic as the recent blackouts in India, the increasing numbers, duration, and impact of power failures across the U.S. due to the degradation of the grid have severe implications for the energy-intensive way of life, economic stability, and even national security. The cost of neglect is high; a report commissioned by the Edison Foundation estimated that to retrofit the U.S. electricity infrastructure including new generators and new power delivery systems will require approximately $1.5 trillion over 20 years⁴ with more than half of this investment going to transmission and distribution facilities.