Coming soon: Government control of your thermostat

I kid you not:

California has proposed a policy that so neatly fits both categories that people like my wife (a probable Obama voter!) respond in shock and disbelief. From their Energy Commission’s newly-proposed rules about your thermostat (PDF, see pages 63-64):

(c) Thermostats. All unitary heating and/or cooling systems including heat pumps that are not controlled by a central energy management control system (EMCS) shall have a Programmable Communicating Thermostat (PCT) that is certified by the manufacturer to the Energy Commission to meet the requirements of Subsections 112(c)(1) and 112(c)(2) below:

1. Setback Capabilities. All PCTs shall have a clock mechanism that allows the building occupant to program the temperature set points for at least four periods within 24 hours. Thermostats for heat pumps shall meet the requirements of Section 112(b).

2. Communicating Capabilities. All PCTs shall be distributed with a non-removable Radio Data System (RDS) communications device that is compatible with the default statewide DR communications system, which can be used by utilities to send price and emergency signals. PCTs shall be capable of receiving and responding to the signals indicating price and emergency events as follows.

A. Price Events. The PCT shall be shipped with default price-event offsets of +4°F for cooling and -4°F for heating enabled; however, customers shall be able to change the offsets and thermostat settings at any time during price events. Upon receiving a price-event signal, the PCT shall adjust the thermostat setpoint by the number of degrees indicated in the offset for the duration specified in the signal of the price event. The PCT shall also be equipped with the capability to allow customers to define setpoints for heating and cooling in response to price signals as an alternative to temperature-offsetting response, as described in Reference Joint Appendix JA5.

B. Emergency Events. Upon receiving an emergency signal, the PCT shall respond to commands contained in the emergency signal, including changing the setpoint by any number of degrees or to a specific temperature setpoint. The PCT shall not allow customer changes to thermostat settings during emergency events.

If for any reason the state-regulated utilities deem that there is an “emergency”, they can do anything they want to your air conditioner or heater, and the thermostat gives you NO ability to override the setting. It doesn’t matter if you’ve got an elderly person sweltering in the summer heat in the central valley who cannot handle a few hours in extreme temperatures, you cannot change the thermostat.

Remember folks... the global warming movement has little to do with the environment and lots to do with where socialists and communists are congregating and plotting.

Wake. The. Hell. Up. People.

Comments

[Morgan K Freeberg]

More info here.

There must be a way to fight this using the enemy's arsenal. How about conducting some "research" that "discovers" the PCT might cause learning disorders in children, or kill the family pet?

[Mommynator]

Time to lay in a stock of old school thermostats to replace the ones that break down.

[salvage]

where socialists and communists are congregating and plotting.

AHAHAHAHA!

Phase 1: Gain control of their heating and cooling

Phase 2: ???

Phase 3: WORLD DOMINATION BITCHES!

You are very silly.

[Morgan K Freeberg]

See...you're just trying to think through fairly complex problems with sarcasm. Kind of like cutting down a redwood tree with a butterknife.

Your Seinfeld-wannabe posts are more entertaining than most when you're having one of your "on" days, but I think it's time to admit that making people chuckle is really your schtick. You get into this "what do I think the things I think and why do I think those things" and it's a right-brain guy dealing with left-brain stuff. Sarcasm masquerading under a thin disguise of classic Aristotelian/Socratean thinking. Trying to change the minds of those who know far more about the subject under discussion, with a supposedly-witty one-liner.

It's just uncomfortable to watch, dude. Worst of all, is all these posts on your blog telling your audience what opinions to have...you have this tendency to toss up a few snarkings to make people feel good if they already agree with you, call everyone else stupid (like you do here), and leave it at that.

Kind of amusing at first, but after awhile it feels like...like...I dunno. Watching Andre the Giant take gymnastics lessons. I think it's time you admitted, forming reasoned opinions about what's going on in the world just isn't your bag. Stick to comedy.

[salvage]

>See...you're just trying to think through fairly complex

yes, the problem of the guberment trying to take over America's thermostats is very complex.

>Trying to change the minds of those who know far more about the subject under discussion, with a supposedly-witty one-liner.

While I will admit that I am poorly schooled in thermostat rights theory, (it's just never come up before) I'm actually trying to tell people what's on my mind not change theirs; I don't have such delusions of grandeur.

I think you do however, funny.

It's a cute dodge as it is old, trying to patronize your way from my point; you are as silly as this story. The government is not going to oppress your right to control your heating and cooling. Relax.

[Morgan K Freeberg]

While I will admit that I am poorly schooled in thermostat rights theory, I'm actually trying to tell people what's on my mind not change theirs; I don't have such delusions of grandeur. I think you do however, funny.

Well, one of the problems with that is if you were "trying to tell people what's on [your] mind not change theirs," you'd do it just once & be done with it.

Do you really want me to go snooping around Rick's blog for examples of where you've repeated yourself over and over and over again, with the same un-funny Daily-Show-wannabe one-liners, as if trying to convince yourself of something? Can't we just agree on it? Or, at the very least, that if your motivation is to tell us what is on your mind & nothing more, you must think a lot of folks around here must have incredibly short memories because you like to repeat yourself?

The government is not going to oppress your right to control your heating and cooling. Relax.

Um...Okay, Mister Just Try To Tell People What's On My Mind. I eagerly await your alternative explanation of what exactly is taking place here, then. Got one?

I mean granted, the agency doesn't feel it when the money gets spent, but there's a certain level of effort involved in putting this feature in, right? There's an approval process, someone has to make sure the unit is tamper-proof and can't be bypassed...there are audits...lab tests, I would have to expect...yes all this stuff means jobs, but it's also kind of a pain in the ass for a lot of folks, even to the folks who came up with the requirement.

So what's the point? Just -- make labor unions happy? It seems undeniable, to me, that if you move the point of control somewhere, there's a transfer of control taking place. I'm just assuming that is central to the point. Are you trying to say that's assuming too much? It doesn't strike me as exactly a leap of logic.

It's a cute dodge as it is old...

Um, I haven't alerted you before now how awkward you look pretending to engage in reasoned thinking when it's transparently evident that you're doing anything-but. Although for reasons that should be obvious, I would hardly be surprised to learn others have been jumping on your case about it. If that's the case, obviously I agree with them, so you'll have to go whining to someone else about it.

[salvage]

>Well, one of the problems with that is if you were "trying to tell people what's on [your] mind not change theirs," you'd do it just once & be done with it.

No, not really.

> you must think a lot of folks around here must have incredibly short memories because you like to repeat yourself?

You’re close.

>Um...Okay, Mister Just Try To Tell People What's On My Mind. I eagerly await your alternative explanation of what exactly is taking place here, then. Got one?

No idea, don’t particularly care because the whole thing smacks of one of those deals where wingnuts get all worked up into a righteous froth only to discover the mountain the were pointing and shrieking at was but a molehill, see the recent Iranian boat nonsense for an perfect example. At least that was interesting, artificial climate control not so much.

>So what's the point?

Um you did notice that is was a “proposal” yes? So at the stage it’s just a suggestion, I suspect that someone has some worst case scenario in reference to power outages or phase imbalances where they would need to take a load of a grid as fast as possible, shutting down a few blocks of AC on a hot summer day may save a whole city from going black.

That’s just off the top of my head using “critical thinking”.

It’s part of the fascinating paranoia wingnuts have, you see something like that and your lizard brain instantly assumes it’s something sinister despite the fact that the agencies behind it are not.

Your Dear Leader lies America into a war that’s killed hundreds of thousands and made things far worse and you smile and nod yet this is what you get upset about, the government talking about overriding thermostats.

Truly fascinating.

It's a cute dodge as it is old...
>Um, I haven't alerted you before now how awkward you look pretending to engage in reasoned thinking when it's transparently evident that you're doing anything-but.
I know you are but what am I?

>Although for reasons that should be obvious, I would hardly be surprised to learn others have been jumping on your case about it. If that's the case, obviously I agree with them, so you'll have to go whining to someone else about it.

AHAAHHA! Yes, it happens all the time and I’m such a whiner!

[Rick]

You're a whiner, a loser and increasingly pathetic.

You're having your hat handed to you here time and again by people whose patience is incredible and yet you keep coming back and looking the fool, keep making unsubstantiated claims that only moonbats suffering seriously from Bush Derangement Syndrome froth and spittle forth usually amongst themselves, and keep thinking that your juvenile logic and infantile humor are worthy of pondering.

I'm frankly turning on my ignore the idiot filter and will no longer engage your frequent and futile attempts at trying to be wise-a$$ and allow those better than me to tolerate your lunacy.

You must lead one helluva sad life.

[Michael]

It's starting to become clear how easily Hitler got into power. If people really go along with this level of control by the government, then they are fools. The government is not telling me what temperature my house is going to be. If they try, hopefully, someone will hack the government's thermostat computers, and bring them down.

[salvage]

AHAAHHA! Oh Rick, yes I keep on losing to your awesome points! You can tell by the way you ignore what I say and just go full on ad hominem, only the best debaters secure in their position do that!

My life is very sad because the government keeps me at below room temperature.

[Morgan K Freeberg]

I retract what I said. Where you go through the motions of reasoned debate, and in substance, indulge in nothing beyond supposedly-witty sarcastic one-liners. I compared it to "watching Andre the Giant take gymnastics lessons."

It's more like watching a guy in a straightjacket try to pick his nose with his toenails.

Even if you weren't suffering from the delusion that you're getting it done -- which you are -- it would still be painful to watch. Every time I look on it, my nose crinkles up sympathetically.

[salvage]

Wow! You've convinced me that the government's scheme to control your thermostat is indeed something we need to be concerned about.

Well done!

[Morgan K Freeberg]

Where you go through the motions of reasoned debate, and in substance, indulge in nothing beyond supposedly-witty sarcastic one-liners.

...and now, it's moved down your brain stem, devolving from a conscious thought to a base instinct.

Kind of like a dead body twitching. There's an appearance there is a functional cerebral cortex firing away there, but it's just involuntary spasms.

[salvage]

No, no, no need to continue, your well thought out points, reasoned arguments and irrefutable logic has sold me; the government is scheming to take control of your comfort zones in an evil scheme to reduces pollution thus making Al Gore rich and powerful.

I really don't understand why I didn't see it before.

[Morgan K Freeberg]

<verbal irony>

Well, I'll admit it does sound EXTREMELY far fetched to conclude the government is trying to get control of our thermostats...just because of this one document that explicitly states entirely-unrelated stuff...namely, that the government wants to get control of our thermostats. Yes, that is quite a leap of logic there.

</verbal irony>

[salvage]

And since you don't understand why they're doing it the only logical conclusion must be that it's detrimental to your freedom.

First they came for the car exhaust standards and I said nothing...

[salvage]

Wake. The. Hell. Up. People. They're unstoppable! Get your guns! Get ready to fight for your right to live at whatever temprature you want! Black choppers!

After an outcry of objections, the California Energy Commission withdrew its proposal to require new buildings in the state to have radio-controlled thermostats that, in a power emergency, could be used to override customers’ temperature settings. Instead of making the proposal part of new state building requirements, the commissioners will discuss the use of the “programmable communicating thermostats” when considering how to manage electrical loads — with the understanding that customers would have the right to refuse to allow the state to override their wishes.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/16/us/16brfs-THERMOSTATPL_BRF.html?_r=2&ref=us&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

Oh.

Never mind.

[Morgan K Freeberg]

Isn't that equally ridiculous? The supposition that, since they didn't get away with it, they must not have been up to anything in the first place. That is ALL of the point you're out to make here, right...that when kids don't end up with the cookie in hand, they must have really, truly, been trying to put it back in the jar.

I can't help but notice since the Clinton impeachment, left-wing nastiness has been on a rise almost perfectly in sync with the globular wormening.

Perhaps the government should take control of blogging comments during an emergency.

It would seem there are a lot of folks walking around who aren't the least bit suspicious of such a thing.

[salvage]

You're show to be a paranoid hysterical Nancy and you repsond with 'We need to be more paranoid and hysterical!'.

Awesome.