Google is ramping up its efforts to allow consumers to see how much energy they use in real time with a tool it is testing called Google PowerMeter.

Eventually Google plans to make PowerMeter available to consumers who have homes equipped with advanced energy meters called "smart meters" There are about 40 million smart meters in use globally and plans are in the works to add another 100 million over the next few years.

The Google Blog offers more details on the companies efforts. "But deploying smart meters alone isn't enough. This needs to be coupled with a strategy to provide customers with easy access to energy information. That's why we believe that open protocols and standards should serve as the cornerstone of smart grid projects, to spur innovation, drive competition, and bring more information to consumers as the smart grid evolves."

"We believe that detailed data on your personal energy use belongs to you, and should be available in an open standard, non-proprietary format. You should control who gets to see your data, and you should be free to choose from a wide range of services to help you understand it and benefit from it."

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