Try as it might, the HomePlug Alliance just can't seem to get its foot in the proverbial door of consumers' homes. Now the organization is eying a different target market -- utilities. Its new Netricity Powerline Communications program aims to get utility companies and makers of smart meters to adopt the 1901.2 standard for sending data through existing electrical wiring and march us into the smart grid future. The low-frequency, narrow-band PLC won't do anything to help you stream HD video around your home, but it should be more than enough for monitoring your energy consumption. Check out t
