Utilities are tapping into customers’ solar panels, home batteries and smart thermostats to avoid blackouts in a program establishing “virtual power plants.”
Why doesn’t Texas connect to the federal US power grid? It certainly isn’t freedom for its customers.
a Houston homeowner, didn’t have to touch her thermostat to pitch in. Her utility company remotely shut off her air conditioner nine times that day as part of a power-saving strategy
9 times a day? I get annoyed at setting the oven microwave clocks each time but 9 times would be too much. And each day! That’s not freedom that Texas wants - they want to keep a deliberately bad grid away from federal inspection that would require the company to spend money on upgrading and updating their shit.
I’m not in Texas, but on a similar plan. Initially it got me a free ecobee thermostat, now I get I think a yearly credit. It’s not much, but in the 3+ years I’ve had it I think I’ve noticed them adjusting it twice. Certainly not 9 times a day. And I don’t think they shut off heat/ac just adjust the temp a few degrees.
Why doesn’t Texas connect to the federal US power grid? It certainly isn’t freedom for its customers.
9 times a day? I get annoyed at setting the oven microwave clocks each time but 9 times would be too much. And each day! That’s not freedom that Texas wants - they want to keep a deliberately bad grid away from federal inspection that would require the company to spend money on upgrading and updating their shit.
I’m not in Texas, but on a similar plan. Initially it got me a free ecobee thermostat, now I get I think a yearly credit. It’s not much, but in the 3+ years I’ve had it I think I’ve noticed them adjusting it twice. Certainly not 9 times a day. And I don’t think they shut off heat/ac just adjust the temp a few degrees.
But but but muh ffreedum!