Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
•. They.allow.communications.between.power.traders.to.
enable.different.markets.to.buy.and.sell.power.where.it.
is.needed.or.where.there.is.excess.
•. They. have. many. more. detailed. controls,. monitors,.
and. systems. that. enable. this. incredibly. complex. and.
vital.infrastructure.to.keep.working.
So,.right.away,.when.that.alarm.goes.off.you.tapped.into.
and.depended.on.one.of.the.most.sophisticated.and.impor-
tant.IT.systems.
Of. course. as. your. day. progresses,. that. electronic. infra-
structure.will.be.vital.to.nearly.every.moment.in.your.life..The.
eggs.you.eat.for.breakfast.were.kept.cold.in.your.refrigerator.
powered. by. electricity;. the. toast. is. toasted. in. an. electronic.
toaster..The.lights.and.heat.or.air.conditioning.in.your.home.
came.from.that.same.grid.
Now,.this.might.seem.obvious.and.beyond.the.point.of.this.
topic..But.in.fact.as.these.electronic.systems.become.“smarter”.
and.even.more.connected.to.each.other.through.IT,.they.begin.
to.contain.more.and.more.information.about.your.lifestyle.and.
data.that.might.even.be.discoverable.and.useful.if.you.or.some-
one.else.wants.to.prove.something.about.your.life.
For. instance,. even. now. without. great. detail. that. will. be.
available. with. smarter. meters. and. grids,. there. have. been.
cases.where.power.consumption.records.have.been.used.in.
court.to.show.the.possibility.of.someone.using.their.home.as.
a. marijuana. garden.. Growing. such. a. crop. indoors. requires.
large.lights,.fans,.cooling.systems,.and.so.forth,.that.can.be.
indicated.by.a.larger.than.normal.power.bill.
As. these. technologies. become. more. sophisticated,. they.
will.be.able.to.be.accessed.for.information.on.speciic.uses.
of.electricity.in.your.home.and.work..The.upside.of.this.will.
be.an.ability.to.better.control.the.low.of.power.and.regulate.
conservation.efforts..The.possible.downside.will.be.the.abil-
ity.of.utilities.and.government.organizations.to.pinpoint.the.
speciic.uses.of.power.and.use.that.information.as.part.of.a.
proile.of.your.life.and.lifestyle.
