Replacing the electric meters outside people's houses with "smart meters" has been touted as one key to an energy-efficient, next-generation electric grid. But some fear the information those meters collect could lead to an invasion of homeowner privacy.

A Sept. 6, 2009, story [2] by Andrew Maykuth in the Philadelphia Inquirer explores the implications of a meter that knows when you are sleeping, when you are awake, and a lot more besides.

A key question is whether utilities and governments can devise privacy-protection measures strong enough and soon enough to avoid slowing adoption of smart meters.