Technologies for fast load control

Abstract

Direct communication, broadcast to a variety of customer-premise load reduction technologies, is an effective way to pre-empt price spikes due to congestion or supply shortfall. With a multi-tier group addressing structure and an open-access nationwide communication network, direct control can be called by any of the power delivery participants for system security, based on electrical location, geographic location, load type, or program name. Direct control is extremely fast-acting, and well distributed; most programs do not require notification or customer intervention, and in a "pool/proxy" environment, could be used by all grid participants.