NPR - July 8, 2011
San Antonio's mayor says he wants to make the city a hub for alternative and renewable energy businesses. Ira Flatow and guests discuss how a city can change its energy habits. Plus, smart meters let utilities know how much energy a house is using minute by minute. Who should own the data? Can consumers use the info to save money?
IRA FLATOW, host: This is SCIENCE FRIDAY, I'm Ira Flatow. We're in San Antonio this week, broadcasting live from the Witte Museum here, and one thought keeps popping into my mind: I hope the air conditioning keeps working.
(SOUNDBITE OF LAUGHTER)
FLATOW: Because here in Texas, it's July, and it's really hot outside. The mercury is hovering around 100, as it does almost every day in the summer. A blackout like the one we had in the Northeast a few years ago or the one they had in Texas earlier this year could really be deadly this time of the year.
Managing the electricity grid and keeping those air conditioners humming can be a challenge for electricity providers, and are sure to get even more complicated when renewable energy is added to the mix, something San Antonio is planning to do.
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