1. An apparatus for controlling peak demand of a system of energy consuming devices, the apparatus comprising: a monitor node, coupled to a non-system energy consuming device and to a demand coordination network, configured to determine and broadcast whether said non-system device is consuming an energy resource; and a first control node, coupled to a second control node and said monitor node via said demand coordination network, said first control node comprising: a node processor, coupled to a first energy consuming device, configured to operate the first energy consuming device within an acceptable operating margin to maintain a first local environment by cycling on and off; and a global schedule module, coupled to said first node processor, configured to coordinate run times for said first energy consuming device and a second energy consuming device, wherein the coordination is based on a replica copy of a global run time schedule disposed within said first and second control nodes, an adjusted first descriptor set characterizing said first local environment, an adjusted second descriptor set characterizing a second local environment, and energy consumption data broadcast by said monitor node.