An October report from the consulting company Brattle Group estimates that in Europe, it would cost 51 billion euros to wire the continent with smart meters.

FORBES: Energy

Philip Verleger, an energy economist with the Brattle Group, a consultancy, observes that successful central banks are secretive about when they will intervene in the foreign exchanges.

ECONOMIST: Oil

"The pilot showed conclusively what could be done, " says Ahmad Faruqui, a consultant with the Brattle Group in San Francisco, who advises utilities on the economics of smart grid technology.

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This could cut power demand by 10-15% during peak hours, estimates Ahmad Faruqui of the Brattle Group, a consultancy more than twice the reduction likely to be achieved by just giving customers real-time information about their usage.

ECONOMIST: Utilities are getting wise to smart meters and grids