Originally Posted by SW17LS

Exactly...

Electric utilities are not going to be charging different rates for different uses of electricity, doing so makes no sense. The only reason would be if the government was to try and attach some sort of tax onto vehicle charging, but the much easier way to collect any such tax is with vehicle registration, which is what they are doing and will do.

Originally Posted by Mike728

Smart meters were mandated in my town several years ago. They just measure current usage and log it over time. I'm sure there are companies out there that claim they can detect specific individual device fingerprints using that data, but I doubt it's very accurate in most situations. If your city is aware that you own an EV, I'm sure they could detect when you have it plugged into a level 2 charger. But my old 50A hot-tub used more current than charging our EV at 15A, before we upgraded to L2. It would take some pretty intrusive technology to detect when you left something like the light in your guest bathroom on.

Originally Posted by Bob04

I would be shocked if it didn't happen at some point in some states like Cali. But they won't sell it as paying more for inefficient appliances they recognize being used. Rates will just increase, and it will just be a "discount" for efficient appliances. This technology isn't being developed for fun. There is a market for it, and the people in that market aren't just interested in that info just out of curiosity.

Originally Posted by Bob04

I don't think they are trying to get that granular, but they can tell the difference between usage for a car charger vs a hot tub. They can tell the difference between a top load and front load washer. In the end, I suspect this data will be used to determine "efficient" home vs "inefficient" homes. The efficient homes will qualify for a cheaper rate. Those determined to be inefficient will be charged more. We've already had similar programs like this in the past here in SC. They don't spend a ton of money on this for no reason or just because they are curious.

Originally Posted by LeX2K

At the risk of stirring a hornets nest this could all be avoided if we'd build out the grid using modern nuclear plants. Yes they are very expensive up front but last for decades and easily pay for themselves. I loath wind farms they should be banned. Solar is great except if panels litter a landscape they should be limited to roofs on structures as much as possible.

Originally Posted by FrankReynoldsCPA

I'm 100% with you on nuclear. Unfortunately I think the last nuclear power permit has already been issued in the US. The NRC has done the exact job it was tasked to do, which is stop nuclear plants from being built.

Originally Posted by bitkahuna

i wouldn't be surprised if new administration is saying 'hold my beer'

Originally Posted by Mike728

Nah, that's too clean. I can see more coal plants, though.

Originally Posted by bitkahuna

not happening, but gas, for sure... we have an insane amount of it, lol.

i can't help laughing at the fact that 3 mile island is coming back online and microsoft has apparently worked a deal to use ALL it's electricity output for a data center.

Originally Posted by SW17LS

I shared this on the General thread too lol

Originally Posted by Framestead

The Pr machine against is now for it. Change maybe coming to the whole process.

Well then again Deepseek proved you night not need to build power hungry data centers so they might backtrack on it.

Originally Posted by swajames

The Deepseek that did, in fact, leverage tens of thousands of power-hungry GPUs and has reportedly been caught leveraging OpenAI etc, meaning those low-cost claims are at best extremely dubious?

Originally Posted by swajames

The Deepseek that did, in fact, leverage tens of thousands of power-hungry GPUs and has reportedly been caught leveraging OpenAI etc, meaning those low-cost claims are at best extremely dubious?

Originally Posted by AMIRZA786

I definitely have toned down from my younger days, but I haven't lost my love of cars...yet