Powerful Choices – Alaska Airlines Magazine

March 2, 2010

Last summer a heat wave descended on California’s Sacramento Valley. Nothing unusual about that—it happens every year. But this time the Golden State’s largest electric utility had expanded a trailblazing partnership with thousands of progressive homeowners who had signed up for a revolutionary new program. Pacific Gas and Electric sent them messages asking for voluntary power-consumption cutbacks on especially hot days, in return for which the customers received rate reductions. Participants delayed laundry, curtailed air conditioning, and turned off TVs and computers during a total of nine high-heat days last summer. The resulting 4-megawatt load reduction helped PG&E mitigate the high demand that heat waves exert on the state’s maxed-out electric grid.

Pretty smart.