Power Response Smart Home FAQs

• CPA’s Power Response Program is a demand response program administered by AutoGrid Systems Inc. for CPA.
• Demand response programs encourage consumers to reduce energy usage when electricity consumption is anticipated to be higher than seasonally projected.
• When there is stress on the electricity grid, CPA calls Energy Saving Events and participants in the Power Response Program will be asked to temporarily reduce their electricity usage.
• Participants receive financial incentives for participating in the Power Response Program and conserving energy during events. This reduced energy usage can decrease stress on the electricity grid and help lower greenhouse gas emissions.

• Power Response Smart Home allows residential customers to participate in a demand response program by registering their eligible smart connected device.
• Smart devices like thermostats and home batteries make it easy for you to participate, as CPA can manage them for you during Energy Saving Events.
• Once your device is enrolled in the Program, no further action is necessary. We will notify your provider to temporarily adjust the device to reduce energy usage during the event.
• Participants may always override their device before or during an Energy Saving Event without any penalty.

If you would like to learn more about participating without a smart device, please visit our Power Response Home page. 

CPA has chosen to partner with AutoGrid to implement Power Response. Based in California since 2011, AutoGrid and its customers use AutoGrid software to deploy demand response (DR) programs which combine behavioral dispatch, dynamic pricing, and direct load control mechanisms to reduce or shift load during peak electricity usage times. In addition, AutoGrid uses its proven software system and its vast network of partners to provide turnkey programs to the electricity providers and utilities in the US including program design and implementation, payment processing, and consumer support. For additional information please visit www.auto-grid.com 

• Participants with Google Nest, ecobee, or Sensi thermostats will receive an $85 e-gift card upon enrollment and a $40 e-gift card annually in October thereafter.
• Participants who sign up for the SolarEdge Home Battery program will receive a $400 e-gift card upon enrollment and a $300 e-gift card annually in October thereafter.

Incentives will be emailed to participating customers in the form of a digital gift card. For more information, see “How will I be compensated for enrolling in Power Response Smart Home?”.

A digital gift card will be sent to the email address associated with your CPA account. To make changes to your email address, please call the CPA Power Response Program customer support center operated by AutoGrid at 888-292-0502 or email us at powerresponse@cleanpoweralliance.org. 

When you participate in Power Response:

• You earn money for your active participation, while helping CPA to lower the demand on the electricity grid.

• You may save energy which may equal electricity bill savings, particularly if you are on a time-of-use rate.

• You may help avoid a blackout when the stress levels on the electricity grid are high.

• Reducing energy use collectively creates more sustainable communities and makes the electrical grid more reliable.

The CPA program started in January 2022 and currently does not have an end date. However, the program is subject to CPA’s terms and conditions, which may be updated from time to time.  Please review the terms and conditions. 

Your devices are temporarily adjusted during an Energy Saving Event to reduce your energy consumption. Events typically last (4) hours and occur between 4pm-9pm, but other times are possible.  

You may always opt out of the Energy Saving Event. However, lack of participation could impact your ability to remain in the Power Response Smart Home program in the future. 

Please find more details on each device below. 

Thermostats: 

You will be notified of an Energy Saving Event via your provider’s app and/or on the thermostat’s display.  A pre-conditioning event will also occur before the event, such as lowering the temperature setting for a summer event, to minimize discomfort during the event. Please visit the following links for more information: 

Google Nest: click here
ecobee: click here 
Sensi: click here 

Thermostats will not be accessed (controlled) more than 20 times from May-1 to Oct-31 of each year between 1-9 PM PST and 20 times from Nov-1 to the next Apr-30 between 6 AM-9 PM PST; no more than 3 times per week, and no more than 4 hours in any given day, and not on holidays.  

For SolarEdge Home Battery participants 

Your SolarEdge Home battery is intended to be optimized based on your home energy needs, weather, and solar availability. During Energy Saving Events, your battery is programmed to supply your house with all the energy the battery is set up to support. The battery will reserve 20% for emergency use at all times. During blackouts or scheduled Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) events called by SCE, your battery will not be accessed by AutoGrid. 

Your battery may be accessed (controlled) up to 100 times per year at any time of the day but not more than three consecutive days and not more than 5 hours each time. 

Extreme fire danger conditions over the past year have led the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to adopt a procedure that directs investor owned utilities like SCE to turn off the power in the interest of public safety. These "events" are known as Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS). 

Both Los Angeles and Ventura Counties have Tier 2 and Tier 3 high hazard fire zones and some parts of Clean Power Alliance's territory may be more prone to getting notified of PSPS events.  

Clean Power Alliance supports our customers' safety and has resources and information available for you to be prepared for PSPS events. For more information please visit CPA’s Outage Information page. 

An eligible smart device and home WiFi to connect your device.  

Please visit CPA’s Power Response Smart Home webpage to enroll: 

1. Register: Register the smart device you have in your home. 
2. Confirmation: You will receive an email within three weeks from powerresponse@cleanpoweralliance.org confirming your enrollment. 
3. Earn Money: Get ready to participate in Energy Saving Events and receive your financial incentive via email! 

All participants must have an active and dispatchable device in order to complete enrollment. SolarEdge participants must have their battery installed and receive permission to operate from the utility. 

You will be notified via email from powerresponse@cleanpoweralliance.org that your enrollment is accepted or not accepted approximately three weeks after enrolling in the Power Response program. During the enrollment process, the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) will check to see that you are not currently enrolled in another conflicting Demand Response (DR) program.  If the process with CAISO finds that you are currently enrolled in another conflicting DR program, and you cannot be disenrolled from it, you will receive a nonacceptance letter and will be unable to participate. 

You will be notified by powerresponse@cleanpoweralliance.org email approximately three weeks after registering your device if there is a conflict when you are being enrolled in the Power Response Program. 

Yes, you can enroll more than one eligible device in the Power Response Smart Home program. You must register each device and comply with the program’s terms and conditions to receive the financial incentives.  

If you don't have any of the eligible technologies but would like to participate, you may qualify for our Power Response Home program. 

The Power Response Home Program allows residential customers to participate in a Demand Response program by conserving energy use through manual adjustments to their home devices, such as adjusting the thermostat or turning off unnecessary lights. 

You may withdraw from Power Response at any time with no financial penalty by contacting CPA’s Power Response customer support at 888-292-0502 or email powerresponse@cleanpoweralliance.org.  

You may withdraw from Power Response at any time with no financial penalty by contacting CPA’s Power Response customer support at 888-292-0502 or email powerresponse@cleanpoweralliance.org. Please include your name, street address, and SCE Service ID when requesting to unenroll.

The number of Energy Saving Events per year will depend on your device and grid conditions, but will not exceed 20 events during the summer (May-October) and 20 events in the winter (November-April). Events will last no more than 4 hours in one day, and there will not be more than 3 events per week.  There will not be events on holidays. 

In the rare case that there is a grid emergency, there may be more than 3 events in a week, or an event may occur on a holiday. 

Notification varies depending on the device or program. See “How will my device be used during Energy Saving Events?” above. 

You will not be assessed any financial penalties for declining events. However, lack of participation in Energy Saving Events could impact your ability to remain in the Power Response program in the future. 

By agreeing to the Terms and Conditions upon enrollment, you authorize AutoGrid to be your Demand Response Provider (DRP). As a result, AutoGrid will have access to some of your utility information, including the customer name associated with the account, the service address, rate schedule, meter type, electric usage, billing data, and if you are enrolled in a utility demand response program. This data will be kept in a secure location according to Fair Information Practices as prescribed by the California Public Utility Commission (CPUC) guidelines. For more information on the DRP authorization process and data protocols, refer to the CPUC website here. For more information on AutoGrid’s privacy policy please click here. 

More about CPA: 

Founded in 2017, Clean Power Alliance is the locally operated not-for-profit electricity provider for 33 cities throughout Los Angeles County and Ventura County as well as the unincorporated areas of both counties. CPA is California's fourth largest electricity provider and leads the nation in serving the most customers with 100% renewable energy. CPA serves more than three million residents and businesses, providing clean renewable energy at competitive rates. Learn more at www.cleanpoweralliance.org. 

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