Oliver Walker, a foreman for the solar company, Sunrun, installs a lithium-ion battery at a home in Granada Hills, Calif., Jan. 4, 2020. Los Angeles Times-TNS

Your power bill is too high. Electricity prices have risen by as much as 40% since 2020, far outpacing overall inflation. And after decades of nearly flat growth in energy consumption, data centers are driving up grid demand for the first time in roughly 35 years. Then heat waves, like the one currently cooking Southern California, push the whole system to the edge.

That’s why In 2022, California launched the Demand Side Grid Support program.

I ran the Department of Energy during the Biden administration. I know innovation when I see it. California’s grid program has been historic and should serve as a model for the entire United States.

To understand the program, start with how the grid becomes strained. During a heat wave, like the one currently cooking Southern California, millions of people turn on their air conditioning to keep cool. Suddenly, their homes use a lot more power. Certain power plants — called “peakers” because they come on during peak demand — rev up to generate more electricity. These plants are more expensive than others to run, so electricity costs more. Sometimes, there still isn’t enough power, and we get blackouts.

The Demand Side Grid Support program steps in to prevent blackouts and price spikes........

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