A load management method for controlling a plurality of distributed community loads with a plurality of controllers. The controllers are connectable to a network and the distributed community loads are connectable to a power grid. The loads are controllable by a corresponding one of the controllers according to a local need and a power grid supply or a community need of the loads. A network node device adapted to communicate with other node devices of a same community within an overlay network topology system. The system has a plurality of node devices organized in a number of hierarchically linked rings. The plurality of node devices of a same ring is interconnected in groups of node devices. One of the node devices is a parent node for linking the node devices of a first ring to node devices of a second ring at another hierarchy by being a parent node to both first and second rings.