available" power (priority 2). Manufacturers can provide priority settings on their machines and the power company sending a number of signals as they need more demand to balance supply, or set the machine for lower priority to use lower cost energy. An electric car might even have a setting for "charge and supply"; charging when electricity is least expensive and returning energy when it is most expensive. The power company benefits by selling more energy; consumer devices can receive signals via the internet when excess power is available, or when it is more expensive. Demand Side Response lessens the need to run expensive "peaking capacity" power stations when there is a high demand for power, and can encourage use when surplus electricity is available. Vehicle-to-grid is a system under development allowing electric cars to provide power to the grid at times of high demand, low supply from e.g. wind and solar power and therefore high prices, and charge the car again when the price is lower, based on the energy need the car owner has defined in the car settings (such as need for long distance drive next morning or only short work commuting). See also Load following power plant Load profile Electricity generation Distributed generation Dispatchable generation References Energy storage Power engineering Rechargeable batteries Smart grid Balancing technology