Metering.com 7 SEPTEMBER 2016
Hawaiian Electric (HECO) has filed its plans with the Public Utilities Commission to deploy demand response programmes in 2017.
The plan falls under the utility’s efforts to shift to 100% usage of renewable energy sources by 2045.
HECO’s shift to clean energy sources is aimed at helping the utility meet demand for power during peak periods.
Up to the this point, the utility company has managed to meet excessive power demand during peak periods by increasing capacity produced by plant units.
Should its proposal be approved, Hawaiian Electric will go ahead with its plans to kickstart a demand response pilot for some of its residential customers this December and expand the programme to all its customers next year.
Demand response will also help consumers reduce bills by shifting power usage during peak periods when power prices are high to when demand is low and power prices are low. [DoE grant to boost RE adoption in Hawaii].
Demand response programmes funding
In early July, the California Public Utilities Commission approved Southern California Edison’s (SCE) plans to add $8.7 million to fund its demand response projects.
The approval allowed the utility to deploy its demand response programmes in 2016 and 2017 to help its consumers in the Los Angeles area reduce their power consumption to ensure grid reliability.
The development is one of the state’s measures to avoid power outages following the closure of the Aliso Canyon gas plant as a result of a leakage.
The Aliso Canyon provided gas-to-power plants supplying up to 70% of energy used by 11 million consumers in Los Angeles.
The approval of the budget allows SCE to spend $2.8 million to deliver its 2016 demand response programme – the Summer Discount Plan. [Global DR market to grow steadily through to 2026].
The power utility is aiming to register 1 million participants in the project which involves the disconnection of consumer’s HVAC systems from the grid during peak events.
In 2017, the power utility plans to use $3.2 million to have more than 1.6 million consumers enroll in its Summer Discount Plan.
Image credit: www.texasenterprise.com.