But it isn't yet clear how many customers will have to sign up for the smart grid to get to that point.

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There is no money to steal on the electrical grid, nor is there any intelligence value that would justify cyber espionage: The only point to penetrating the grid's controls is to counter American military superiority by threatening to damage the underpinning of the U.S. economy.

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Both extremely hot and cold temperatures stress our electrical grid to the breaking point, and there is precious little in reserve.

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It's a move that leaves them open to being pushed into the negative point ("10 Off") grid, but, hey, it has to be done.

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As a consequence, we are now able to talk seriously about grid parity of solar resources, and sun-drenched Spain has gotten to the point that utility-scale programs can be envisioned without subsidies.

FORBES: Solar Grid Parity Comes to Spain

Grid architectures are designed to work around single-point failures, but in the 1989 event there were 15 major failures in a few seconds across the regional grid, and that was more than the system could cope with.

FORBES: Intelligence Community Warns Solar Storms Could Collapse Electric Grid

Unlike traditional "centralized" systems, distributed energy relies on small power-generating technologies like solar panels or ultra-efficient natural-gas turbines built near the point of energy consumption to supplement or displace grid-distributed electricity.

FORBES: The Answer To The Energy Problem

Nuclear shut down its Indian Point Unit 3 in New York due to external electrical grid issues.

WSJ: Millions Without Power in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut After Storm

Section 248 leaves the responsibility of securing the power grid in the hands of the same owner-operators who have failed to harden their networks up to this point.

FORBES: Five Critical Flaws In The Lieberman-Collins Cybersecurity Bill