The Public Service Commission is partnering with the federal government to make Missouri’s energy grid smarter. This means making appliances able to send information to each other – so that they can turn off or turn down if they’re using too much energy, saving Missourians money. Commission Chairman Kevin Gunn says there’s an added bonus.
Gunn says businesses, such as IBM need data storage centers. These are large buildings that house computer servers, and they use a lot of power.
Gunn says Missouri can up the amount of power it gets from water or nuclear; currently 85 percent of Missouri’s energy use comes from coal.
Gunn says giving companies choices in how they use energy is what will drive them to Missouri. He says the PSC will be taking advantage of grants to update the energy grid and install smart meters These allow companies to set up a smart meter, to turn lights and air conditioning off automatically. In that way, they can use energy more effectively.
(AUDIO) Allison Blood reports on how Missouri could attract more business. Mp3 1:00
