That's exactly the idea behind the term "smart grid". Rather than a network which has a relatively static set of inputs and outputs, new nodes in either categor

That's exactly the idea behind the term "smart grid". Rather than a network which has a relatively static set of inputs and outputs, new nodes in either category can join the network at any time. The US is doing research on smart grids, though I don't have any real familiarity with it - would love to hear more from someone who does.