Recently, the State of Maryland has seen considerable controversy over BG&E's proposal to install smart electric meters.  the Maryland result, I'm not sure how much impact there was from small, citizen groups like this one: http://www.change.org/petitions/we-say-no-to-wireless-smart-meters-in-the-state-of-maryland
and this,
http://marylandsmartmeterawareness.org/industry-says/

As frustrated as BG&E likely is now, at least Maryland isn't Bolivia, which recently nationalized its electricity grid:
 http://www.unoentrerios.com.ar/mundo/Evo-Morales-nacionalizo-la-filial-de-Red-Electrica-Espaola--20120501-0017.html








How much could the US move away from government-centric grid to one that looked more like the privatized Internet technology industry? Probably the limiting factor is that electricity is regulated as much if not more than the "telecommunications" industry, which turns to the Federal Communications Commission for regulation. In the electricity space there's even more government control, and at both the federal (FERC, NERC) level and the State level.