MAKING YOUR LIFE WORSE IS THEIR CHIEF GOAL: California’s smart inverter push prompts fears home backup could be sidelined when blackouts hit. “Under these newer requirements, inverters are built to help stabilize voltage and frequency and to adjust their output automatically as solar production rises and falls. Comparable concepts are appearing in the national IEEE 1547 standard from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and in interconnection rules adopted in other states. If approved-equipment lists increasingly favor grid-focused designs over older inverters built for backup or off-grid use, households may have a harder time replacing the systems they depend. This can affect refrigerators, medical devices, and internet service during outages.”