Smart Meters
I recently was invited to participate in a new pilot program offered by my electricity provider, Virginia Dominion Power. It’s a part of a national trend to help consumers control their electricity and, at the same time, help utilities cut their operating costs. Virginia Dominion Power, following the lead of utilities in California, Texas and other states, is rolling out the program to install “smart” electric meters in homes in the belief that they will help cut electricity consumption and reduce the need for new power plants. The smart meters will allow consumers to see, at a glance, how much electricity they are consuming at what cost. The Critical Peak Pricing Pilot Program is based on two joined approaches increasingly used in the private sector. I predict that these two approaches will soon become standard “best practices” for most monitoring, analysis and management of all kinds of performance, including that of courts. (1) Bring everyone – customers and employees alike – not