As Wind Energy Use Grows, Utilities Seek to Stabilize Power Grid – NYTimes.com

Sometimes wind power produced too much energy:

But with the rise of wind energy, utilities in the Pacific Northwest are sometimes dealing with the opposite: moments when there is too much electricity for the grid to soak up.

So in a novel pilot project, they have recruited consumers to draw in excess electricity when that happens, storing it in a basement water heater or a space heater outfitted by the utility. The effort is rooted in some brushes with danger.

via As Wind Energy Use Grows, Utilities Seek to Stabilize Power Grid – NYTimes.com.