Florida's utility customers are poised to save money thanks to a new ``smart grid'' that will help homeowners and businesses monitor their use of electricity daily and change their consumption habits.

Savings can be accomplished today by turning up the thermostat a couple of degrees or shutting off the water heater when not in use, among many other conservation methods. But with a smart grid, consumers can check their accounts on the Internet and see the difference in price daily based on actual consumption.

The news that Florida is getting $200 million in federal stimulus money to create a smart grid couldn't come at a better time. Florida Power & Light is looking to increase rates as a way to pay for bigger projects, like a nuclear power plant, in the future, but conservation and renewable energy sources, like solar, should be at the forefront of energy efficiency.

The federal stimulus grant, announced by President Obama as he toured a solar energy center in Arcadia Tuesday, will modernize the nation's electric grid and open the way to integrate wind and solar energy sources into the transmission system. Nationwide, the $3.4 billion in stimulus money will be matched by $4.7 billion from private investors.

Already, 100,000 homes in Broward County have smart meters as part of a pilot project. In April, Miami Mayor Manny Diaz announced his visionary new green initiative with executives of four companies that plan to install a smart meter in every Miami-Dade home.

Not only will consumers be able to save money but the stimulus will add tens of thousands of jobs nationwide -- from equipment installers to electrical engineers -- in the next three years as work is completed. It's a win-win for South Florida.

Join the discussion

The Miami Herald is pleased to provide this opportunity to share information, experiences and observations about what's in the news. Some of the comments may be reprinted elsewhere in the site or in the newspaper. We encourage lively, open debate on the issues of the day, and ask that you refrain from profanity, hate speech, personal comments and remarks that are off point. In order to post comments, you must be a registered user of MiamiHerald.com. Your username will show along with the comments you post. Thank you for taking the time to offer your thoughts.

     Showing: Oldest first Newest first Most-recommended first Least-recommended first

@Nyx.AuthorDisplayName@ wrote on @Nyx.PostedAtTime@:

@Nyx.repliedToText@

@Nyx.replyAnswerText@

Reply to this Comment @Nyx.Recommender@ @Nyx.AbuseReporter@