C&I Demand Response Program Launches in Metro Phoenix

(Photo Credit: Zhuo Cheng You, Unsplash)

Enel X and the utility Salt River Project are launching a new demand response program that pays commercial and industrial electricity customers in the Phoenix metropolitan area for reducing energy during peak times.

By participating in the demand response program, C&I customers can earn payments for temporarily reducing electricity consumption when demand is highest, Enel X and Salt River Project (SRP) said.

“The Phoenix metropolitan area has seen some of the fastest population growth of any region in the country, according to US Census data released in the first half of 2019,” the program leaders noted. “To support this growth, SRP is implementing new energy resources such as demand response to help ensure grid reliability, while avoiding the high costs of new infrastructure.

SRP’s business demand response program for C&I customers in the utility’s territory is set to run May 15 through October 15 during the hours 12 pm to 9 pm. When the utility anticipates high demand on the grid, the Enel X network will provide advanced notification — via email, phone, or SMS, depending on the customer’s preference — about a dispatch.

At the start of the dispatch, the facility will reduce its electricity usage according to a predetermined energy reduction plan, either manually, or if requested, automatically through Enel X’s Network Operations Center (NOC), the company said. Each dispatch lasts one to three hours per event, and the program caps the number of dispatches at 10 per season.

These are the program benefits for participants, according to Enel X:

• Maximize payments to the bottom line: Enel X manages participation to ensure that customers receive the highest possible financial reward. Since 2003, Enel X customers have earned more than $1 billion in payments.
• Improve facilities’ resilience: Demand response participants also receive advanced notification of grid stability issues, enabling them to proactively protect their facilities from potential power outages.
• Support the community: Participation helps maintain reliable electricity within the local community.

“Customers often facilitate dispatch participation by simply shifting many of their energy-intensive processes by a few hours,” according to Enel X. The company added that it has created energy reduction strategies for a wide variety of facilities, including cold storage, manufacturing, food processing, universities, malls, and office buildings.