Posted November 7, 2022
New York, November 3, 2022 – As extreme heat put electrical infrastructure to the test across North America again this summer, utilities and their customers showed they can step up and support grid reliability when it matters most.
Households and businesses across the continent worked with EnergyHub client utilities to manage 1.3 GW of flexibility from 900,000+ devices, reducing grid load at critical times. In total, EnergyHub utilities called 1,376 events during the summer of 2022, an 83% increase over 2021.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), this summer was the third warmest on record. Against this backdrop, customers of EnergyHub’s 60+ utility clients participated in distributed energy resource (DER) programs to keep the lights on, the A/C working, and accelerate the decarbonization of our power system - all without the need for expensive infrastructure investment.
Utility customers deliver grid reliability from coast to coast
Utilities running those nearly 1,400 events shifted 8.5 GWh out of peak times, reinforcing DER programs’ position as a valuable part of the resource stack. This summer alone, six clients called events over 50 MW and one client - Salt River Project - called multiple 130+ MW events.
Erika Diamond, Head of Customer Solutions at EnergyHub, emphasized the importance of flexible load in utility resource planning, saying: “I’m proud of our work with our utility clients and their customers to deliver a reliable grid this summer. This massive resource supports grid resilience and decarbonization goals while customers simultaneously benefit from financial incentives and increased service reliability.”
Keeping the lights on across the West
From August 29th to September 7th, the entire Western electrical grid faced continuous stress due to record-setting heat. After days of exceptionally high demand for electricity, California issued a state-wide emergency SMS alert, asking consumers to prevent blackouts by conserving energy.
CLICK HERE to read the full press release.
