Imagine a future in which a turbine detects a gust of wind hundreds of miles from your home, immediately triggering a charge into the hybrid or electric vehicle in your garage while you sleep. Or a world in which you can turn off an appliance or adjust the thermostat in your house while you are at work.

That’s the idea behind the “smart grid,” a modernized version of today’s electricity grid that would improve reliability and efficiency, and facilitate the growth of such renewable energy sources as solar and wind.

This system begins with the “smart meter,” a technology that has been in the news recently. While there are many benefits to smart meters, such as the ability to personally manage your home’s energy consumption and reduce your electricity bill, some people have raised concerns about the accuracy, privacy, cybersecurity and health issues of the meters.

The Community Environmental Council will be participating in a community forum hosted by the UCSB Bren School of Environmental Science & Management to talk about the benefits of a larger smart grid, as well as to ask serious questions about the new meters.

The forum will begin at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 26 in the Corwin Pavilion at UCSB.

Click here for more information.