James Griffin of the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute spoke at MCC saying:

“Maui is already a leader, but the grid here is limited,” he said. “Fluctuations for renewable energies is the reason for concern. As more renewables come online, the potential for problems increases.

Griffin said his upcoming project will be to develop a pilot smart grid project in Maui Meadows, installing at least 200 high-tech energy monitors in homes and on electrical infrastructure including transmission lines and power stations.

The two-year, $14 million project is being done in partnership with MECO and the U.S. Department of Energy.

Participating households will be able to view their electricity bills and energy-eater updates in real time on laptops and smart phones, while MECO will get new electricity-tracking and use-prediction software, Griffin said.

A widespread smart grid could also make the system two-way, so homes with solar panels and small wind turbines could sell power to MECO.

Read the entire article at Maui News