The ‘smart grid’ is nothing but yet another attempt to subvert liberty to the control of statists. It will do nothing over the long term to reduce consumer costs or increase consumer choice. To predict otherwise is to rely on models that have no basis an actual reality which includes utility rent-seeking, statist government desire for control of population behaviors for government benefit, and feckless academics who prop up the entire scheme from their reality-challenged ivory tower. These would be the same people as brought us the credit crisis and housing bubble – to think that their behavior will change when applied to a so-called “smart grid” is naivete of the worst sort.