A system for controlling an electrochemical production process includes a variable controllable power circuit and an electrolytic cell. The cell includes two electrodes and operates in different states dependent on the potential difference across the electrodes. The system includes a power circuit controller that causes the power circuit to apply a given potential difference across the electrodes to initiate operation of the cell in the one of multiple possible states associated with the given potential difference. The possible states include a production state associated with a first non-zero potential difference in which a product of interest is produced, and an idle state associated with a second non-zero potential difference in which the product of interest is not produced. A monitoring and control subsystem maintains a predefined set of production process conditions, including a predefined operating temperature range, while the cell operates in both the production state and the idle state.