I met the folks who manage Smart Meter Texas last month. They said it is underbuilt on purpose so that Retail Electricity Providers (there are 80+ in Texas) can craft custom apps on top of the portal data platform. Gives the REPs a new area to compete in besides price and 'green-ness'.

Also, there has been recent progress towards creating aluminum salts that may yield another pathway to transparent aluminum (in addition to the Aluminum oxynitride and Al(2)O(3) pathways already mentioned.)