"Austin Aiming for a Grid Makeover"

"The city of Austin, Tex., [Thursday]  presented a wide-ranging list of recommendations for remaking its electricity system, including more energy efficiency measures and a change to the business model of the local utility.

The effort, known as the Pecan Street Project, goes beyond the concept of smart-grids and could serve as a national model, its backers say.

'We believe it is not enough for the grid to be smart. It needs to be smart and green,' said Jim Marston, who directs the Texas office of the Environmental Defense Fund and is a Pecan Street board member, in a conference call Wednesday.

Some other smart-grid projects, Mr. Marston added, are 'are only looking for ways to lay off meter readers.'"

Kate Galbraith reports for Green Inc. in the New York Times March 25, 2010.