A
system for load control in an electrical power
system is described, wherein one or more load-control devices are provided to
control power delivered to
electrical equipment. A
remote power authority, such as a power company, government agency, or
power transmission company sends one or more commands to the load-control devices to adjust loading on the electrical power
system. In one embodiment, the power authority sends shutdown commands. In one embodiment, the power authority sends commands to tell the
electric power device to operate in a relatively low-
power mode. In one embodiment, the commands are time-limited, thereby allowing the
electric power device system to resume normal operation after a specified period of time. In one embodiment, the commands include query commands to cause the control device to report operating characteristics (e.g., efficiency, time of operation, etc.) back to the power authority.