I noticed an article of note in the Globe & Mail today worth mentioning…

The regulator of Ontario’s electricity industry says consumers can expect to pay $3 to $4 a month until the end of the decade for a so-called smart meter that would allow them to track energy use on an hour-by-hour basis. But the Ontario Energy Board added the new meters would give electricity users the ability to cut their monthly bills by shifting usage to periods when rates are lower…Energy Minister Dwight Duncan has pushed for new meters that would reward consumers who cut their electricity demand at peak times because this would reduce the need for the government to build costly new generation plants. The consumer would be charged according to when power is used, with higher prices prevailing during peak times…The presumption — bolstered by experience in other countries — is that the devices will quickly pay for themselves through reduced power usage.

Huh, promoting energy conservation through awareness of usage and thus shifting demand. Interesting idea.