I think we need smart meters and a more market driven approach to retail pricing. Peak electricity costs can go through the roof and people will respond by shifting their usage to alternatives or different times when there is less demand and prices are lower. Unfortunately there is no market transparency and we are paying for retail electricity without any real understanding of the underlying costs. We are paying ridiculously increasing amounts for electricity so we can build infrastructure to handle peaks that many would avoid if there were market pressures on consumers. Changes like rooftop PV and wind farms are only a part of the picture.
