The author’s central claim in “Battling Heat Waves by Making the Grid Smarter” is that smart grid technology and demand-response programs are crucial for managing energy consumption, preventing blackouts, and modernizing the power grid to address extreme heat waves.

Question

The author provides strong evidence to support this claim. First, the text describes Con Edison’s demand-response program, where “Con Ed sent radio signals to the thermostats, triggering them to cycle on and off every half hour. The initiative saved 25 megawatts of energy during peak demand last week” (lines 22-25). This example demonstrates how smart grid systems directly reduce energy strain and prevent blackouts during heat waves. Second, the author highlights PG&E’s Smart AC program, which “gives PG&E the flexibility to cut 63 megawatts of power use from the grid when necessary” (lines 27-29), showing how voluntary customer participation can significantly ease grid pressure. Finally, EcoFactor’s thermostat technology is cited as “two-way programmable devices that can be controlled by an internet connection” (lines 32-34), illustrating how innovative tools can efficiently manage energy in real time. rephrase like a 8th grader ( leave line numbers and words in quotes the same)

Answer 1

The main point the author makes in “Battling Heat Waves by Making the Grid Smarter” is that using smart grid technology and demand-response programs is really important for controlling how much energy we use, avoiding blackouts, and improving the power grid during super hot weather.

The author provides good examples to back this up. First, the text talks about Con Edison’s demand-response program, where “Con Ed sent radio signals to the thermostats, triggering them to cycle on and off every half hour. The initiative saved 25 megawatts of energy during peak demand last week” (lines 22-25). This shows how smart grid systems can help cut down on energy use and stop blackouts during heat waves. Next, the author mentions PG&E’s Smart AC program, which “gives PG&E the flexibility to cut 63 megawatts of power use from the grid when necessary” (lines 27-29), showing that when customers volunteer, it can really help reduce the pressure on the power grid. Finally, EcoFactor’s thermostat technology is explained as “two-way programmable devices that can be controlled by an internet connection” (lines 32-34), showing how new tools can help manage energy use effectively in real time.