Orwellian California....

Finally something the left and right can agree on! The California Energy Commission's proposal to use radio controlled thermostats to reguate the termperature in your house amounts to "nanny state regulations" on steroids.

Whether you are a card carrying ACLU Democrat or a reactionary Rush Limbaugh Republican, I think we can all agree that allowing the CEC to beam signals into my house to control my thermostat is going way to far.

The CEC can control what's going on outside my house, but not on this side of the threshold. If I'm using too much energy, cut me off. But do not think you can come in and physically touch my thermostat.

In the final analysis, the energy we consume is a commodity that we purchase. Energy producers and regulators have every right to limit the amount of that commodity that they sell to me and they have every right to charge me what they want for it. But they do not have a right to violate the sanctity of my home and physically alter my behavior patterns.

If the technology exists to control individual thermostats remotely, then it should not be a stretch to implement technology that is capable of cutting power to individual homes and residences if and when they consume more than their reasonable share of energy.

In the event such individual shut-offs occur, then those residences would have to deal with the consequences and alter their own consumption in the future. Bottom line, you can incentivize me to adjust my thermostat, but you're not invited in to do it yourself.

California Seeks Thermostat Control [New York Times]