Watching the Electrons

A warning about electrical outlets that has nothing to do with bathtubs.This from Ontario's Information and Privacy Commissioner, who has been studying the implications of "smart grid" technology that will enable utilities to micro-monitor usage, with the aim of more efficient electric delivery:

Intimate details of hydro customers' habits, from when they cook or take showers, to when they go to bed, plus such security issues as whether they have an alarm system engaged, could all be discerned by the data automatically fed by appliances and other devices to the companies providing electric power.

Why does it matter here in the USA? Well, the economic stimulus enacted earlier this year contains at least $4.5 billion specifically for smart grid projects, with the aim of kick-starting even greater private investments.As in so many other areas (medicine, taste in movies), the tech that promises better, "smarter" outcomes also demands more detailed information.  So what's our plan for that information?