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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.