Green Daily

Google has already won us all over with its awesome eco add-ons for Google Earth and its support for renewable energy. Now they energy conscious mega-brains at Google have set out to join the smart grid revolution with a new web-based app called PowerMeter. With the upcoming app, designed to be part of your iGoogle platform, Google hopes to help reduce the need for new power plants while helping users slash their own energy bill by 15%.

PowerMeter will allow users to monitor their realtime electricity use in graph format while their checking their email -- helping them build a sort of daily context for their energy use. Google employees are using PowerMeter right now, the only thing holding up the plan is the actual metering equipment needed to feed PowerMeter. For that, Google is depending on Smart Meter manufacturers, who Google hope will create a standardized meter format. One aspect of PM that's sparking some controversy is the fact that it will share data with utility companies in order to help them boost efficiency. Although the data sharing is completely optional and Google claims that no personal information will be shared, some feel that it's a little too Big Brother for their tastes.

[via PCWorld]