Things have been pretty interesting on the energy front the past month – as you would expect when energy gets mixed with politics. Most folks know that Flathead Electric Cooperative has been installing a partial “smart grid” here, in hopes of efficiency gains and better cost allocation. But will things pan out? Consider this bit of news from Boulder, Colo., a college ecotopia that makes Missoula look normal: Xcel Energy is asking for a rate increase to cover the $45 million it spent making Boulder a “SmartGridCity.” The Denver Post reported that doing so involved installing…
