Imagine a world where the skyrocketing demand for energy, driven by the increasing scarcity of fossil fuels and the rapid economic development of emerging economies, leads to frequent electrical brownouts and blackouts. Now imagine if local utilities could communicate with appliances in homes such as a water heater, air conditioner, clothes dryer, or dishwasher, and instruct each one to cycle down during high-demand periods. This can help minimize power demand across the grid and avoid blackouts. Or better yet, imagine load-management programs that automatically drive down consumer electrical bills by turning off appliances and lights during high-cost peak periods and reinstating them when electricity rates are lower.