Webloggin » California Nanny State Proposes Radio Controlled Thermostats

California is proposing that residents add a radio FM controlled receiver enabling the government access in an effort to control thermostats, refrigerators, pool pumps, computers, etc…. If passed, California politicians said that building permits would be denied for any contractor who refuses to comply with the new law.

WND reports:

Add thermostats to the list of private property the government would like to regulate as the state of California looks to require that residents install remotely monitored temperature controls in their homes next year.

The government is seeking to limit rolling blackouts and free up electric and natural gas resources by mandating that every new heating and cooling system include a “non-removable” FM receiver. The thermostat is also capable of controlling other appliances in the house, such as electric water heaters, refrigerators, pool pumps, computers and lights in response to signals from utility companies. If contractors and residents refuse to comply with the mandate, their building permits will be denied.

The proposal, set to be considered by the commission Jan. 30, requires each thermostat to be equipped with a radio communication device to send “price signals” and automatically adjust temperature up or down 4 degrees for cooling and heating, as California’s public and private utility organizations deem necessary.

Claudia Chandler, assistant executive director for the California Energy Commission, told WND the new systems would be highly beneficial to residents.

“From the Energy Commission’s perspective, all we’re doing is ensuring that this new technology is included in new homes instead of the older programmable technology,” she said.

The Programmable Communication Thermostat, or PCT, will allow power authorities to control home temperatures while denying consumers ability to override settings during “emergency events.” Nowhere in the proposal does it clarify what type of situation would qualify as an “emergency,” but Chandler offered her own explanation: “An emergency is when the utilities need to implement rolling blackouts and drop load in order to be able to meet their supplies because the integrity of the grid is being jeopardized.”

If Californians are stupid enough to buy into this crap then I propose that they all get on one large barge in the middle of the pacific ocean and pull the plug. Either that or send these nanny state advocates on a one way trip to Venezuela, Cuba, China, or North Korea (take your pick) where their ideas would be more in line with that of those governments. We don’t need people so obviously ignorant that they would let the government decide how warm their houses need to be and actually hand over the keys.

This is the nanny state x 100 and is yet one more reason we need to get people like Claudia Chandler and her cohorts out of power.