Distributech, Cont.

I was pleased to work our trade show booth at Distributech trade show in San Diego last week. It was another great show, and the delegate turnout was very good considering the economic times.

The smart grid is hot right now. (How about that Superbowl commercial?). And it's not just the electric grid that's getting buzz. The gas and water "grids" are realizing benefits from technology too.

The topic on many peoples minds, besides the smart grid, was the utility economic climate, and the stimulus package.

What do I think about the utility economic climate? Well, my crystal ball looks lovely on my coffee table, but I discovered long ago that it's as unreliable as DSL service -- circa 1998. (Webvan? come on, crystal. I might never forgive you for that onoe). So I won't speculate.

But I can speak for myself and say that I am very busy. And in a good way.

And I'm hopeful that our collective innovation, and a bit of that stimulus money will lead to the new green collar jobs that we really need.