Apparatus and method for controlling communications to and from utility service points

An active load management system operable to control transmission of messages over a communication link, the messages providing information reporting electric power consumption by power consuming devices located at service points receiving electrical power from a utility, the active load management system comprising:

• a plurality of active load client devices, each active load client device including:
• a communications interface operable to receive at least one control message indicating a transmission time for transmitting at least one report message, the at least one report message providing information relating to electric power consumption by power consuming devices located at a service point at which the active load client device is located;
• and
• a device control manager operably coupled to the communications interface, the device control manager operable to generate the at least one report message and supply the at least one report message to the communications interface for transmission at the transmission time;
• an active load director that includes:
• an active load client manager operable to:
• determine a transmission period during which report messages are to be transmitted by the plurality of active load client devices,
• determine a plurality of transmission increments within the transmission period,
• allocate each transmission increment to a respective group of the plurality of active load client devices,
• determine transmission times for the report messages based on (a) identifiers for the plurality of active load client devices, (b) respective durations of transmission increments allocated to respective groups of the plurality of active load client devices, and (c) a quantity of active load client devices in each group, and
• generate control messages that include indications of the transmission times;
• and
• an active load client interface operably coupled to the active load client manager and the communication link, the active load client interface operable to communicate the control messages to the plurality of active load client devices over the communication link.