Automated Metering Infrastructure (AMI)
There have always been both technological and sociological risks in the adoption of any new technology from the wheel to the printing press to the electronic devices now in ubiquitous use. With the advent of each development came the recognition of problems to be corrected and refinements to be made. Such issues arose within the relatively limited context of use and would be dealt with at the point of production of the technology, usually in-house. As technology became more mass-produced the end-users have become less likely to know “how it works”, which is not necessarily bad but increases the possibilities of a machine being improperly used or of being used without awareness of the dangers of misuse, etc. Appropriate safety measures are then required and/or the licensing of operators. But what happens when systems become so complex that consequences are not readily foreseen – or else ignored – to embrace “something new”.
Unlike production machinery or consumer goods, the Smart Grid is not voluntary. Many issues enter in that will be discussed in the following sections.