California Considers Landmark Appliance Rule to Ease Grid Demand

Imagine shutting down or throttling back demand from a network of pool heaters, air conditioning systems, or other appliances to stabilize the electric grid.

That’s on the mind of California energy regulators, who may set first-in-the-nation rules for appliances that could reduce energy use during peak demand times.

California Energy Commissioner J. Andrew McAllister calls the idea an elegant, affordable solution that could have avoided rolling blackouts that plunged nearly 2 million people into darkness over two days in August during a heat wave. Web-enabled applications can control thermostats, lighting, and home alarm systems already, so, he asked, why not ...