Decentralized electrical load shedding

1. A decentralized load shedding device that automatically turns off a load, the device comprising:

a processor configured to:

determine an operating frequency of an electric grid;

determine that the operating frequency of the electrical grid has been lowered from a first operating frequency to a second operating frequency;

determine that the operating frequency of the electrical grid has been maintained at the second operating frequency for a threshold amount of time that indicates that the electrical grid is approaching operating point limits of the electrical grid;

in response to determining that the operating frequency has been lowered from the first operating frequency to the second operating frequency and maintained at the second operating frequency for the threshold amount of time, generate a signal for the load to turn off; and

send the generated signal to the load to cause the load to turn off;

wherein the operating frequency of the electrical grid is lowered to the second operating frequency and maintained at the second operating frequency before the electrical grid is at the operating point limit of the electrical grid; and

wherein the operating frequency is encoded with information describing a geographic location that is affected by the electric grid approaching the operating point limits of the electric grid and wherein the processor generates the signal responsive to the load being located in the geographical location.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device is incorporated into the load.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device is coupled to the load.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the load comprises an electric appliance.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine the operating frequency of the electric grid from an input voltage to the device.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the operating frequency is encoded with information describing a type of device that is affected by the electric grid approaching the operating point limits of the electric grid and wherein the processor generates the signal responsive to the load being the type of device encoded in the operating frequency.

7. A method of operating a decentralized load shedding device that automatically turns off a load, the method executed by the device and comprising:

determining an operating frequency of an electric grid;

determining that the operating frequency of the electrical grid has been lowered from a first operating frequency to a second operating frequency;

determining that the operating frequency of the electrical grid has been maintained at the second operating frequency for a threshold amount of time;

in response to determining that the operating frequency has been lowered from the first operating frequency to the second operating frequency and maintained at the second operating frequency for the threshold amount of time that indicates that the electrical grid is approaching operating point limits of the electrical grid, generating a signal for the load to turn off;

sending the generated signal to the load to cause the load to turn off;

wherein the operating frequency of the electrical grid is lowered to the second operating frequency and maintained at the second operating frequency before the electrical grid is at the operating point limit of the electrical grid; and

wherein the operating frequency is encoded with information describing a geographic location that is affected by the electric grid approaching the operating point limits of the electric grid and the method further comprises:

generating the signal responsive to the load being located in the geographical location.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein determining the operating frequency of the electric grid comprises:

determining the operating frequency of the electric grid from an input voltage to the device.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein determining the operating frequency of the electric grid comprises:

determining that the operating frequency lowered from a first operating frequency to a second operating frequency that is below a threshold frequency for a threshold amount of time, the threshold frequency and the threshold amount of time indicating that the electric grid is approaching the operating point limits of the electric grid.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the operating frequency is encoded with information describing a type of device that is affected by the electric grid approaching the operating point limits of the electric grid and the method further comprises:

generating the signal responsive to the load being the type of device encoded in the operating frequency.