Beware: The “Smart Grid” Will Automatically Turn Off Your Air Conditioner and Set Your Thermostat
August 12, 2025
You might want to watch this video clip from Patricia Poppe, the CEO of California utility PG&E, speaking at the World Economic Forum. She excitedly explains how the government will soon be able to harness the power of AI to automatically disable your air conditioner and other appliances – and even drain your electric vehicle battery to “smooth demand” and conserve energy:
Poppe
The state took a very aggressive action to send out an emergency text message to all of the California cell phones, and instantaneously, 2,500 megawatts came off the system. We watched the load curve drop with a straight line, which told me and reaffirmed a hypothesis that I have, that demand management with modern technology can be automated. We shouldn’t have to send a text message. It worked.
Host
But you basically said, Guys, switch off your aircon. Stop boiling your kettle. No more tea.
Poppe
It was an emergency message that said, yes, please reduce your usage. Californians responded because they’re good citizens. But what it says is that it could be automated with smart devices, WiFi communicating devices, and electric vehicles as a power resource, bi-directional power resource, back to the grid, would be even an additional asset.
This is a technology that has never been available in all of our years of delivering energy, and electricity in particular, to the people of the world.
We can now manage demand and have the right use at the right time…It will happen, and I’m very optimistic.
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