50^th PLMA Conference Full Wednesday Conference Agenda

Sponsored by E Source

Co-Chair Kevin Knight Baltimore Gas & Electric

Co-Chair Christine Cole Itron

Creating the Flexible Grid: Battery Storage in the Northeast
How do you run a robust battery storage program when the equipment you need is new technology? Utilities across the northeast are working it out. Energy Storage Solutions – a demand response program that uses residential and commercial batteries to ease strain on the grid through both active and passive dispatch – was launched in Connecticut in 2022, taking the place of ConnectedSolutions, which didn’t have a passive dispatch component. The program’s first true test was the summer of 2023 when there were enough batteries enrolled in the program to gather meaningful results. Join us for a panel discussion to learn how the batteries performed in 2023, what changes were implemented to improve performance in 2024 and the early results of those program updates. Topics to be discussed include Passive Dispatch vs Active Dispatch; Enrollment and Incentives; Battery Storage Technology; DER Interconnection; and much more.

Jennifer Runyon Eversource

Ella Roseman EnergyHub

Co-Chair Melissa Leymon Oracle Water & Utilities

Co-Chair Corey Wheat Copeland

Only in NYC: Lessons Learned from ConEdison’s Demand Rate Pilot
ConEdison’s Innovative Pricing Pilot (IPP) is an industry-shaping demand rate pilot targeting residential and SMB customers. Six years and 175k participants later, the pilot is ending. This session offers a complete look at IPP: development rationale, rate design, implementation, and actionable insights. We will present evaluation results and share how IPP learnings have shaped ConEdison’s other rate offerings, and what’s next for rate design.

Andrea Gopaulsingh Con Edison	William Atzl Con Edison	Leigh Winterbottom ICF
Eric Bell, PhD Apex Analytics	Jordan Folks Opinion Dynamics

Sponsored by Resideo Grid Services

Co-Chair Dave Alspector Tierra Resource Consultants

Co-Chair Joel Schofield Threshold

Carbon Reduction 2 Devices - Daily Demand Response Targeting Scope 2 Emissions
Duke Energy and EnergyHub to present a recent case study that explores customer interest to reduce scope 2 carbon emissions through daily smart thermostat demand response events. Duke Energy, in partnership with EnergyHub and several smart thermostat manufacturers, conducted an 8-month study to explore customer interest in frequent carbon-emissions rooted demand response events. We recruited 430 households across North and South Carolina to participate in the study between 8/1/2023 and 3/31/2024 during which customers experienced small, daily thermostat setbacks during periods of relatively higher carbon emissions. We studied the impacts of daily events on energy and demand, modeled implications on carbon emissions, and time-of-use bill savings. We explored underlying attitudes and behaviors along a number of energy and environmental sustainability dimensions between study participants and non-participants.

Michael Ursem Duke Energy

Nathan Meadow EnergyHub

Matthias Hüls EnergyHub

Sponsored by Recurve

Co-Chair Cory Fox EnergyHub

Co-Chair Jacob Chacko Eaton

One Device Type, Two Device Type, Three Device Type, Four: Integrating Multiple Device Types for Year-Round DR Participation
Those who have stood up a new demand response program know the level of coordination between utility, OEMs, DERMS, implementer, and end customer that is needed to get a new program off the ground. Now imagine the coordination required for having four different device types eligible to participate in both summer and winter events, in the first year of the program. This presentation will focus on learnings from Hydro One’s myEnergy Rewards program as it launched and ran operations for multiple new DR devices (smart low-voltage and baseboard thermostats, EVs, and EV chargers) for the 2023 summer and 2023-24 winter season. We will present key lessons learned about customer engagement and education for a multi-device program, how optimal event timing and other parameters may differ across seasons, how customers can be grouped within a DERMS for successful event execution, and more.

Alexandra Abbruscato CLEAResult

Giselle De Grandis Hydro One

Kirsten Millar Virtual Peaker

Sponsored by E Source

What We Wish Someone Told Us: Launching & Operating Battery VPPs
Battery storage adoption has grown to more than 10 GW in California and Massachusetts. Several virtual power plant (VPP) pilots have taken advantage of this resource and helped grow it to respond to grid reliability concerns and record demand. This panel will highlight four diverse, rapidly growing VPP implementations which have collectively enrolled over 33K customers, 170 MW, and 24 battery providers/aggregators. The presenters will describe the design elements that make their VPPs unique, including program rules such as incentivizing grid exports, market-aware dispatch, and use of submeter data for pay-for-performance calculations. The presenters will share their experience from program launch to operations and provide the audience tips on how to go about implementing such programs. Additionally, the presenters will highlight the value these VPPs have provided to the grid over the last few years by examining performance characteristics such as resource duration, response time, and overall demonstrated capacity.

Abigail Shelton Olivine, Inc.

Randy Chiu Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E)

Joshua Rasin Sacramento Municipal Utility District

Paul Wassink National Grid

Taking the Mystery Out of Time-Varying Rates with Personalized Education
Time varying rates (TVR) can effectively build load flexibility, promote electrification, further enable decarbonization, and empower customers with new tools to manage their energy bills. However, educating and recruiting customers onto these rates remains a hurdle. Puget Sound Energy (PSE) overcame this hurdle as part of its two-year TVR pilot. In partnership with Uplight and GridX, PSE delivered a multichannel customer engagement strategy that included personalized Rate Education Reports, self-service rate comparison tools, and post enrollment Rate Coach emails. GridX’s rate engine enabled accurate shadow billing and “what-if” analysis capabilities to model impacts from behavior change and energy efficiency improvements. This approach made rate offerings relevant and built confidence that customers could succeed on a new Time-of-Use (TOU) rate. PSE exceeded recruitment targets for each of the three residential rate designs and yielded pilot opt-in rates that surpassed similarly designed TVR pilots.

Clint Stewart Puget Sound Energy

Sam Hartnett Uplight

Dr. Long Lam Brattle Group

Sponsored by Resideo Grid Services

Advanced VPP Management Strategies: Market Participation, Load Shaping, and Beyond
Arizona Public Service (APS) has built one of the largest VPPs in North America, comprising over 90,000 devices that consistently deliver over 100 MW of load shed. To leverage this resource, APS has pioneered a unique “pre-cooling” dispatch strategy that maximizes renewable generation resources, reduces customer time-of-use (TOU) costs, and creates a flatter load shape. But the grid benefits don’t stop there; APS’s VPP also provides value to CAISO through its participation in the Western Energy Imbalance Market (WEIM). Learn how APS’s DSM and Markets teams work together to execute advanced VPP management strategies, including meeting daily during the peak summer season to determine if they should call a conservation event. We will explore real examples of when APS’ Cool Rewards program benefited the greater WEIM with this strategy, such as when they called three consecutive events over Labor Day weekend in 2022 to keep California’s grid running.

Erika Diamond EnergyHub

Kerri Carnes Arizona Public Service

Elizabeth Goodman Arizona Public Service

Sponsored by Recurve

Daily Load Shifting HPWH: Early Results and Scalability Challenges
PG&E's WatterSaver program, launched in March 2022, has generated a significant amount of data from participating heat pump water heaters (HPWH). SCE's SmartShift Rewards program, launched in May 2024, is building on the lessons learned from WatterSaver, with a strong equity focus. In this session, program implementers and utility representatives share lessons learned on connecting and controlling HPWHs from different manufacturers, outreach and engagement strategies for different target sectors, as well as the impact of customers' settings on load up strategy (Basic Load Up, BLU versus Advanced Load Up, ALU) and load shifting results, both from the utility and customer's perspective. Finally, we discuss progress needed to scale load shifting using thermal storage to meaningfully participate in the stabilization of the electric grid and the reduction of cabon emissions, in California and nationwide.

Amélie Besson Association for Energy Affordability

Helen Liu Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E)

Ted Weintraut Energy Solutions

Co-Chair Kessie Avseikova Opinion Dynamics

Co-Chair Kirsten Millar Virtual Peaker

The Next Generation of Managed Charging: Serving Multi-Unit Dwelling Tenants
As EVs proliferate and managed charging programs become popular, those in multi-unit dwellings (MUDs) are often left behind. However, some utilities are scaling up MUD programs, offering a model for others to follow, bringing lower costs to drivers and grid benefits to utilities. This session outlines how MUD solutions are more challenging than single-family applications. We will present a detailed journey map highlighting what needs to happen for success, the roles of various players, and the unique utility role. Two case studies from Avangrid and ConEd will showcase their rapidly scaling MUD programs. We will discuss program design, recruitment, and incentive strategies, and onboarding processes, emphasizing the complexity and necessary considerations for each journey stage. Both behavioral and active managed charging approaches will be discussed. We will end with an open and honest Q&A/comment session with the audience to get their ideas on how to improve our collective approaches.

Kate Merson ev.energy

Charles Spence Avangrid

Joseph Yanowitz Con Edison

Co-Chair Vasudha Lathey Olivine

Co-Chair Ross Malme Malme Energy Consulting

11:00 -11:30 am | Revisiting Continuous Voltage Regulation – A New Way of Evaluating Demand Savings
At program launch, TVA considered multiple models for evaluating the energy savings achieved with Continuous Voltage Regulation (CVR) and adopted a constant energy savings model (legacy model). Seasonal assumptions of CVR factors, when combined with observed voltage reductions, provided TVA with estimates of achieved energy reductions by season. Growing interest in future expansion of CVR and related Voltage Optimization efforts spurred TVA to question the legacy model results and develop a newer, more detailed methodology for evaluating energy savings. This newer methodology also opened a window into evaluating demand savings, a previously opaque area of the CVR program. TVA was forced to rethink assumptions about the energy and demand impacts of the CVR program. Results from the newer methodology showed an inverse relationship between more extreme weather days and CVR factor. Results from the analysis also showed peak times of day saw lower CVR factors and lower energy savings.

Kyle Lawson Tennessee Valley Authority

11:30 am -12:00 pm | Developing Partnerships to Evolve the Built Environment With Efficient Grid-Interactive Buildings
This session will explore the potential impact of widespread adoption of clean energy technologies on grid dynamics, and the major roles of customer engagement and demographics. Using examples from the unique grid systems in the Pacific Northwest, it will delve into how scaling up clean energy deployment can influence grid operation and discusses the evolving role of rating systems such as LEED in promoting grid interactivity and hourly carbon awareness. Isaac will offer perspectives on the dynamic relationships between C&I customers and utilities, highlighting innovative programs like Energy Partner Design—a collaborative effort between PGE and PAE. Karina will shed light on the pivotal role engineers can play in bridging the gap between utilities and buildings within the evolving energy landscape. She will underscore the importance of cultivating expertise that can navigate the complexities of future energy systems, facilitating meaningful connections between stakeholders.

Karina Hershberg PAE Engineering

Issac Barrow Portland General Electric

Jonathan Hoechst Tetra Tech

11:00 -11:30 am | Delivering an Effective C&I Demand Response Program: Enrollment Pathways and Data Management
In this session, we will explore the dynamics and roadblocks with vendors, direct connect, and a streamlined Small and Medium-sized Business (SMB) enrollment path for the ConnectedSolutions Demand Response Program in New England. Navigating the complexities of customer enrollment paths requires a deep understanding of both vendor relationships and benefits, as well as the time and energy a customer is willing to put into participation. Eversource has adopted multiple enrollment paths for Commercial and Industrial (C&I) customers, including enrollment with curtailment service providers (CSPs) and direct partnerships with large customers. This session will explore strategies tailored to SMBs for higher enrollment and engagement levels while ensuring a seamless enrollment flow for customers whose primary concern is not their peak demand. We'll also explore best practices for collecting, storing, and analyzing data from various enrollment paths for Demand Response programs, as well as addressing common roadblocks.

Timothy Knief Eversource

11:30 am -12:00 pm | Insights on Local Grouping of Assets in Demand Response
Using local grouping, Eversource has unlocked a more granular and responsive Demand Response program. Local grouping considers geographic proximity, load characteristics, operational patterns, and weather patterns. The presentation will dissect the methodology behind the segmentation process, examining the factors considered and the insights gained. The presentation will also review the data from the 2024 summer Demand Response season, offering an analysis into the tangible impact of the grouping strategy and exploring the enhanced flexibility, reliability, and performance achieved through localized aggregation of assets. Although currently used for peak reductions, we will also discuss how local grouping can be used for local grid restraints and possible bridge-to-wires solutions. Whether you're a utility provider, DER aggregator, or industry stakeholder, this presentation promises invaluable insights into the need and logistics around localized grouping of Demand Response assets.

Timothy Knief Eversource

Sponsored by Opinion Dynamics

Co-Chair Olivia Patterson Opinion Dynamics

Co-Chair Katie Parkinson Apex Analytics

11:00 -11:30 am | Helping Small Co-Ops Accurately Value DERs using the NSPM
While Tri-State G&T co-op has been an administrator of EE electrification programs for over a decade, the face of the programs to end use customers has always been the member-owner utility co-ops. Tri-State worked with ICF to develop a cost-benefit analysis model that can be used not only to value programs from Tri-State's point of view, but also from the point of view of each member-owner utility. This helps Tri-State to have a vertically coordinated approach to program planning, and empowers each of Tri-State's members to independently assess the value of different program offerings and potential supplemental incentives from their own point of view.This model was built utilizing the principles of the National Standard Practice Manual, and so ensures that the full value of any potential resource is taken into consideration. Using this model, Tri-State has evaluated existing offerings and potential demand response programs to expand its portfolio.

Abhishek Jain ICF

11:30 am -12:00 pm | "Non-Controllable, Non-Dispatchable" DR Programs: The Last Load Modifiers
While it may sound like we’re more than a decade late to the party by focusing on non-controllable, non-dispatchable (NCND) DR programs, it is true that these programs are experiencing a moment of renewed appreciation and consideration by many utilities who are seeing the capacity value of their controllable and dispatchable DR portfolio on the brink of significant derating under proposed capacity accreditation policies. Here, we discuss: 1) why NCND programs must be treated differently and the benefits of “load modifier” treatment of DR programs for a utility, 2) the importance of inward application of scrutiny regarding the capacity value of NCND DR in utility resource planning, and some suggested approaches for valuation, and 3) benefits and drawbacks of NCND DR beyond capacity valuation. We will conclude with some topics for audience discussion regarding the blurry lines of “controllability” and “dispatchability” with respect to mass-market DR (i.e., price-based, technology enabled DR).

Maddie Emerson TRC Companies

Jessica King OG&E