; and (II) the practices of transmitting secure data over the Internet, a utility system, or other mechanism, with a means for implementation, such as a standard; (iii) to optimize electric heating technologies for— (I) the integration of renewable energy technologies; and (II) the reduction of greenhouse gases and other pollutants; (iv) to investigate the technical, economic, and legal details of using electric heating technologies for a range of electric grid services, including— (I) energy storage; (II) demand response; and (III) frequency regulation and other ancillary services; (v) to diminish the market barriers to the broad adoption of heating technologies with digital control and communication technologies that enable grid interoperability and integration; (vi) to address nonrecurring engineering costs associated with the development of interoperable electric heating technologies; (vii) to investigate and implement approaches to the aggregation, wholesale electricity marketing, and, to the maximum extent practicable, retail electricity marketing of electric grid services provided by electric heating, including research into the use of transactive energy systems as a means of enabling efficient operations; (viii) to investigate and implement programs to improve the access to, and affordability of, electric heating technologies for low-income populations; (ix) to implement innovative consumer marketing and contracting models, including pricing approaches (including consumer access to wholesale market pricing signals), that co-optimize customer benefits and electric grid benefits; (x) to demonstrate best practices for— (I) customer participation and satisfaction; and (II) maximizing customer benefits; (xi) to investigate and implement user-friendly equipment financing models linked to the marketing of electric grid services, including the means by which the electric grid services provided by electric heating technologies can help finance the cost of the electric heating technology