COLUMBUS, Ohio — On scorching summer days when countless Ohioans crank up their air conditioning or on frigid nights when heaters run nonstop, the state's electric grid can strain under the pressure. These fluctuations put immense stress on the infrastructure, setting the stage for outages and sharp spikes in energy bills.

State Rep. Roy Klopfenstein, R-Haviland, is proposing a solution : allow electric companies to remotely adjust residents' thermostats and water heaters during periods of peak energy demand as part of a voluntary statewide “demand response” program.

"Our electric prices are not going to go down, and the best I think we can hope for at this point is stabilization or less increases," Klopfenstein said.

Under his plan, customers would be notified via their phones and co

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