Seth Frader-Thompson
November 3, 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.
During this period, 202,000 customers in EnergyHub programs swung into action in California and across the West, participating in 40 events without the need for emergency text alerts. Hassan Motallebi, Demand Response Program manager of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) commented:
“Extreme heat put California’s grid under significant stress this summer, but our customers showed up when it mattered most. Their participation in our customer-centric thermostat demand response program, powered by EnergyHub, allowed us to shift demand off-peak and provide uninterrupted service across LADWP’s service territory.”
Unlocking a decarbonized future
In order to meet the goals of the Inflation Reduction Act and achieve 100% renewable energy by 2035, the United States needs to decarbonize between one and two TW (terawatts) of power generation by the middle of the next decade. It’s an enormous undertaking, and it can only be achieved if 500 GW of load flexibility enables grid operators to adjust energy demand to the variable nature of renewable energy sources.
“While the challenge is immense, we have the tools we need to deliver flexible, customer-centric resources on the scale that the climate crisis demands. EnergyHub is 100% committed to partnering with our utility clients and their customers to deliver a carbon-free, distributed energy future,” said Diamond.
EnergyHub is an independent subsidiary of Alarm.com (NASDAQ: ALRM), the leading platform for the intelligently connected property.
About EnergyHub
EnergyHub is the leading grid-edge DERMS provider. Utilities rely on EnergyHub’s Mercury DERMS platform to manage all distributed energy resources to serve grid and market objectives. EnergyHub works with over 60 utilities in North America to manage more than 1.3 GW of flexible capacity. We empower utilities and their customers to create a clean, distributed energy future. For more information, visit www.energyhub.com.
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