Networking AMI Smart Meters

There is a growing interest in ´smart grid´ technologies in both industry and academic circles. Few attempts have been made to develop a written specification consummated with standards agreed upon by members of both coteries, due to lack of government support. Utilities in the state of California are obligated, by state legislature, to create a more: efficient, reliable, and intelligent electric power system. This initiative along with Florida Power & Lighting´s ´Smart Grid´ pilot program has created a sense of exigency within the industry regarding smart grid technologies and standardizations. Their accomplishments are beginning to shape the policies and standards with marginal input from academic societies, ushering in a very lopsided, and business acclimatized set of standards. We will present and analyze, a SCE ´Smart Grid´ use case, in which the utilities back office applications interact with the customer´s meter, and provide technical recommendations for system security improvements.