2030. It's one of those years you see goals pegged on a lot these days. California, for instance, wants to update the building code so that new commercial buildings will be net zero on energy by 2030.

Now, the IEEE, the large and influential standards body, has set forth a program entitled IEEE P2030 to come up with standards for smart grid interoperability and two-way communication.

2030 is not when the first planning meetings will end. It is, ideally, when these things can be implemented.

The first P2030 meetings will take place at Intel headquarters in Santa Clara on June 3 through 5. Turn right at the Marriott and keep going. It's the blue building on the right.

General Electric execs have estimated that 41 gigawatts could be wrung out of the grid just by making it 5 percent more efficient.