I work for a smart metering company and I can confirm that there are a lot of interesting developments in this space. In addition to the meter itself and the fu

I work for a smart metering company and I can confirm that there are a lot of interesting developments in this space. In addition to the meter itself and the functions the meter can do (automatic reporting, disconnects, connects, etc) I think the possibility for incentivized home automation will be a big driver in the internet of things. Some consumers may be interested in throttling their power when load is high on the grid for environmental or cost saving reasons. When the utility provides a monetary incentive for the customer to throttle their AC or turn off their pool pump during periods of high load a lot more people suddenly get interested.