Dive Brief:
- FirstEnergy has selected EnerNOC and CPower to fulfill a four-year demand response contract at three of its Pennsylvania utilities, aiming to meet demand reduction targets mandated by state law.
- Met-Ed, Penn Power and West Penn Power will provide financial incentives to commercial and industrial customers to cut their energy use when requested; the summertime program will operate from 2017 through 2020.
- The demand response program will allow for enrollment in addition to existing PJM programs, according to CPower, increasing the financial incentives.
Dive Insight:
FirstEnergy is rolling out demand response programs in Pennsylvania as it looks to meet energy use reduction targets set by mandated by Pennsylvania Act 129. Signed in 2008, the law required reductions in consumption and demand response to be met by 2021. CPower and EnerNOC will help the company meet the law's requirements.
CPower said it would launch its program on June 1, and is currently recruiting participants for the 2017 performance season. EnerNOC described its deal as a "multi-million dollar demand response contract with FirstEnergy."
John Dargie, vice president of energy efficiency for FirstEnergy, said in a statement that the new programs are a "great opportunity for businesses to improve their bottom line," while helping the utility manage its system, during times of high use.
The utility said participating companies can achieve load reduction in several ways, including temporarily reducing or shutting down industrial processes, turning off lights in groups or sequences, cutting back HVAC systems, shutting down large motors and compressors, or starting back-up generation.
