GridPoint has 2000+ utility tariff (rate) schedules in its database and receives updates to any schedules usually within a few days. Changing a tariff schedule is a regulated process and takes quite a while to pass through all the regulatory hurdles, so it's not like a tariff would change twice a year.
Tariff schedules are getting more complex, thanks in part to the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which was passed in August 2005. One clause in particular reads:
"Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this paragraph, each electric utility shall offer each of its customer classes, and provide individual customers upon customer request, a time-based rate schedule under which the rate charged by the electric utility varies during different time periods and reflects the variance, if any, in the utility's costs of generating and purchasing electricity at the wholesale level. The time-based rate schedule shall enable the electric consumer to manage energy use and cost through advanced metering and communications technology."
Time of Use rates (TOU) charge you for your electricity based upon the time you consume it. For example, PG&E's schedule E-7 has a base rate of 8.664 cents/kWh for summer off-peak usage (6pm - noon) and 29.372 cents/kWh for summer peak usage (noon - 6pm). So the energy you use 3pm costs you more than 3x the same amount used at 7pm.
BTW, TOU rates have been around in the commercial/industrial sector for over 25 years.
One of the unfortunate side effects of competition is that even competition among vermin makes them more potent vermin. Now spyware authors will be shoring up their spyware defenses to ensure they are the only leech attached to the host. New, probably more sinister techniques will be developed to both protect one spyware installation as well as prevent/deactivate others. They may even take an offensive strategy to defending themselves. All this will make it even more difficult for the average user to both rid their machine of existing spyware as well as prevent the introduction of new spyware.
Let's hope the folks at Lavasoft (makers of Ad-aware) and others are ready for the almost certain onslaught of new techniques.
I've hired ten developers this year and I couldn't tell you one college that any of them attended - experience is all that matters to me. When it comes down to it, all I care about is a candidate's ability to produce. While a degree from a prestigious institution might indicate a better chance of your potential for success than one from a community college, I'm going to bet 100% of the time on the person who has *already* demonstrated their ability to get the job done.
I just need to see the *existence* of a degree, just to show me that you completed something you started. I don't really care where you learned what you know - if you can get the job done, I'll make you an offer.
DRM in the context of the RSA conference & Microsoft is probably geared towards securing corporate data rather than consumer goods. Losing a song to piracy is one thing; having your sales projections for the next fiscal year (or internal memos & documents a la Diebold) is quite another.
Up to a point, employees can also be mandated to use DRM software, while consumers can reject it. Corporate DRM will take off before consumer DRM.
Slashdot Mirror
Tariff schedules are getting more complex, thanks in part to the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which was passed in August 2005. One clause in particular reads:
"Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this paragraph, each electric utility shall offer each of its customer classes, and provide individual customers upon customer request, a time-based rate schedule under which the rate charged by the electric utility varies during different time periods and reflects the variance, if any, in the utility's costs of generating and purchasing electricity at the wholesale level. The time-based rate schedule shall enable the electric consumer to manage energy use and cost through advanced metering and communications technology."
Time of Use rates (TOU) charge you for your electricity based upon the time you consume it. For example, PG&E's schedule E-7 has a base rate of 8.664 cents/kWh for summer off-peak usage (6pm - noon) and 29.372 cents/kWh for summer peak usage (noon - 6pm). So the energy you use 3pm costs you more than 3x the same amount used at 7pm.
BTW, TOU rates have been around in the commercial/industrial sector for over 25 years.
One of the unfortunate side effects of competition is that even competition among vermin makes them more potent vermin. Now spyware authors will be shoring up their spyware defenses to ensure they are the only leech attached to the host. New, probably more sinister techniques will be developed to both protect one spyware installation as well as prevent/deactivate others. They may even take an offensive strategy to defending themselves. All this will make it even more difficult for the average user to both rid their machine of existing spyware as well as prevent the introduction of new spyware.
Let's hope the folks at Lavasoft (makers of Ad-aware) and others are ready for the almost certain onslaught of new techniques.
I've hired ten developers this year and I couldn't tell you one college that any of them attended - experience is all that matters to me. When it comes down to it, all I care about is a candidate's ability to produce. While a degree from a prestigious institution might indicate a better chance of your potential for success than one from a community college, I'm going to bet 100% of the time on the person who has *already* demonstrated their ability to get the job done.
I just need to see the *existence* of a degree, just to show me that you completed something you started. I don't really care where you learned what you know - if you can get the job done, I'll make you an offer.
DRM in the context of the RSA conference & Microsoft is probably geared towards securing corporate data rather than consumer goods. Losing a song to piracy is one thing; having your sales projections for the next fiscal year (or internal memos & documents a la Diebold) is quite another.
Up to a point, employees can also be mandated to use DRM software, while consumers can reject it. Corporate DRM will take off before consumer DRM.