Smart electric grids are being promoted by the government and conservation groups because they help consumers and power companies closely track energy use. In homes, smart meters keep close watch on power consumption, and report that information back to utilities so consumers can conserve electricity.

Now some privacy groups, including the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the Center for Democracy and Technology, are warning that the smart grid could be invasive.

Guest: Jennifer Urban, co-director of the Samuleson Law, Technology and Public Policy Group at the University of California Berkeley