Smart infrastructure: innovative energy technology, climate mitigation and consumer protection in Australia and Germany

Smart Infrastructure, such as Smart Meters provide the platform for the introduction of innovative, information-based energy technologies designed to promote systemic energy efficiency and to transition energy markets toward more sustainable and cost effective outcomes, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Smart meters, for example, carry the promise of innovation in electricity markets-as an enabler of demand-side services and a more distributed than centralized energy system. This chapter uses three case studies of legal reform supporting smart meter introduction into competitive electricity markets - two from Australia and one from Germany. Recurrent themes to emerge from the case studies show that the innovation promise of Smart Infrastructure requires the underpinning legal system to address the wider social and economic implications of these changes. Key factors requiring attention are a consideration of who bears the cost for the implementation of the technologies, and the use and security of consumer energy information.