The empowered user - The critical interface to critical infrastructures

Future smart grids will enable increased energy efficiency due to utilization of vast amounts of Distributed Energy Sources (DER) and Renewable Energy Sources (RES) partially controlled by empowered customers. Smart generation and distribution systems will connect energy providers with customers and other stakeholders utilizing new kinds of smart monitoring, coordination and data management infrastructures in service clouds. The service clouds are based on suitable virtualization techniques that could to used to harness critical interdependencies between critical infrastructures by introducing smart programmable interfaces. Smart meters enable empowerment of end users. Smart meters are, however, also access points to the service cloud. The paper addresses some security challenges of energy service clouds and smart meters.