Summer is a beautiful time of year, but our warmer days bring increased energy use which can create stress on the electric grid. We are all aware this increased stress can result in power outages. However, there are programs and tools to help mitigate outages and keep our communities powered up.
Clean Power Alliance has programs for residential and commercial customers that not only support the collective effort to lessen energy use during critical periods but can save customers money on their bills as well.
CPA’s Power Response Program is a demand response program that utilizes green technologies to help consumers reduce energy when periods of high use are expected to put strain on the grid. The program provides financial incentives for participating in the program.
Smart devices such as thermostats, electric vehicle chargers, and home batteries provide multiple ways to participate. When stress on the grid is high, CPA will call a “demand response” event and ask participants to reduce electricity use.
CPA’s Peak Management Pricing (PMP) program encourages commercial and municipal customers to voluntarily take action to power down appliances, electronics, air conditioning, or other equipment during peak heat days and get summer bill credits in return. PMP allows your business to earn bill credits while helping reduce the emissions caused by peak strain on the grid.
During critical events, the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) utilizes an alert system to keep the public informed of the need for Californians to reduce energy usage to prevent rotating power outages in times of high electricity use.
These statewide Flex Alerts encourage consumers to conserve electricity and shift electricity use to off-peak hours. As part of an educational and emergency alert program, Flex Alerts inform consumers about how and when to conserve electricity.
When the CAISO issues a Flex Alert, Clean Power Alliance simultaneously provides notices to our local Los Angeles and Ventura County communities, to promote voluntary electricity conservation between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. due to low power reserves and high strain on California’s electric grid. CPA also posts critical information from CAISO on our website and social media platforms to keep customers informed.
The majority of Flex Alerts are issued between June and October when energy usage is highest. If a Stage 2 Emergency is issued by the CAISO, that means excessive heat is driving up electricity use and continuing to put a strain on the grid.
If conditions do not improve, the CAISO will declare a Stage 3 Emergency, which will lead to a rotating outage that typically lasts one hour.
Finally, in response to the increasing risk of weather and disaster related electricity outages, including Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) events, CPA developed a clean Backup Power for Essential Facilities program, called Power Ready. CPA is working with its member agencies to host a solar-paired or standalone battery storage system at one essential facility in each of CPA’s 32 member jurisdictions. Initial construction is slated toward the end of 2022.
Additional resources:
Register here to receive Flex Alerts
Download CAISO’s emergency notification fact sheet.
CPA asks our customers to do their part to conserve energy during critical periods to help prevent outages. If rotating outages are needed, our customers can see if their household or business will be impacted by visiting Southern California Edison’s outage webpage: SCE.com/rotatingoutages
If you have questions about CPA’s energy saving programs, contact our Customer Support team at 888-292-0502.
Sergei Kotsan serves the Energy Risk Manager for Clean Power Alliance. He has over a decade of experience working on quantitative research and modelling of the wholesale power markets as well as hedging commercial risk and market monitoring. He led commercial operations at TexGen and fundamentals research at Talen Energy on the power supply side. He also has utility experience at Portland General Electric and Pacific Gas and Electric evaluating market risks and financial valuation on the demand side. In addition, he worked at the Market Monitoring Unit at CAISO, developing dashboards and preparing market reports. Sergei holds Ph.D. in Economics from West Virginia University.
Rachel serves as Project Manager, Settlements for Clean Power Alliance. Rachel is responsible for reviewing and identifying discrepancies with our California Independent System Operator (CASIO) and bilateral counterparty invoices, validating transactions of wholesale market products, and performing after the fact analysis on settlements and Congestion Revenue Rights (CRR) to influence resource optimization and CRR strategies. Prior to joining Clean Power Alliance, Rachel served as a Power Settlements Analyst at Utah Municipal Power Agency for two years where she developed and finalized all settlement processes. Rachel earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science and Mathematics from Lewis-Clark State College.
Riju serves as the Website Developer, Communications and Marketing at CPA. He brings over 10 years of software development experience in addition to having a strong background in information technology and server infrastructure. Riju oversees all web related functions at CPA to ensure that the organization is able to effectively sustain meeting the requirements of its rapidly growing digital presence. Prior to joining CPA, Riju worked as a digital content developer at Claremont Graduate University where he developed and launched an online learning platform for the federally funded POLARIS mentoring program for museum professionals. More recently, Riju founded and operated a web development and digital marketing agency which served government organizations, non-profits, and other multi agency partners. Riju holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Information Systems & E-Business from Cal Poly Pomona. Riju supports CPA’s overall goal and mission to a cleaner, brighter future.
Jacob Adamson is an Analyst, Data and Systems, at Clean Power Alliance (CPA), where he collaborates with the Data and Systems team to develop and maintain robust data analytics frameworks. Jacob supports cross-functional departments in data enablement and business intelligence, focusing on automating reporting tasks and assisting staff with data requests. With a background in engineering, information technology, regulatory analysis, and data analytics, Jacob brings a wealth of expertise to CPA’s work in the renewable energy sector. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Geological Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines, is a former licensed professional engineer in the state of Colorado, and is a GCP certified professional data engineer. Outside of work, Jacob is passionate about outdoor recreation, conservation, and engineering sustainable community development.
Ammad serves as the Analyst, Strategic Finance at CPA. He comes to CPA with 3 years of prior experience in financial planning and analysis. Ammad most recently served as a Financial Analyst at Georgia Power, the largest subsidiary of the Southern Company. In this role, he supported various areas in the Customer Experience division where he ensured timely and accurate financial reporting, conducted monthly expense forecasting, and created 5-year budgets with the approval of the Georgia PSC. He also sat on the 2024 Budget Committee where he contributed to developing guidelines for the company’s budgeting process and identifying areas for cost savings. Ammad earned his Bachelor’s in Finance from the University of Central Florida.