PGE customers achieved the largest electricity demand-shift in our company's history during this week's heat wave. Their energy conservation efforts reduced electricity demand by nearly 109 megawatts on Monday and 100 megawatts on Tuesday—enough to power over 90,000 homes for four hours. This remarkable accomplishment highlights the power of community action and the effectiveness of our energy shifting programs. Thank you to everyone who participated in programs like Peak Time Rebates, Smart Thermostat, Time of Day, and EV Smart Charging. Your efforts, combined with our ongoing system upgrades, ensured reliable power delivery and grid stability during this extreme weather. Together, we're building a more resilient and sustainable energy future. Thank you for your part in building a stronger more resilient grid!
Ben Kellison
1mo
Congratulations, it is very exciting to see success like this in the industry. Seems like Portland General Electric is following in Baltimore Gas and Electric’s 300 MW footsteps of peak reduction with behavioral demand response alone with some additional traction in automation with smart charging and thermostats. https://www.utilitydive.com/news/behavioral-demand-response-gives-baltimore-gas-and-electric-a-business-reas/546895/
Jan Grygier
1mo
Well done! 100 megs for a utility the size of PGE is impressive! But to be honest you need to subtract the normal load reduction at the top of the hour due to C&I building management upping thermostats as part of their daily cycle. I don’t know about your experience but in CA you can see the dip every hour starting at 4pm. So maybe there was only an 80 Meg DR response, 20 due to daily temperature adjustments. Great all the same!
Adam Serchuk
1mo
Solid achievement for PGE and its customers. 100 megawatts is a big deal. My family was glad to contribute. Plus, for shifting our demand on Tuesday, we got an 89-cent rebate, and a one-dollar rebate on Wednesday. Every little bit helps, I guess.
Prakash Menon
1mo
Hearty congratulations to PGE team, on achieving an impressive 100 MW saving through customer engagement initiatives. This remarkable milestone is a testament to your dedication, innovative strategies, and commitment to sustainability. Your efforts not only highlight the potential of customer collaboration in energy conservation but also set a benchmark for the industry. The impact of this accomplishment extends beyond immediate energy savings, and establishing a foundation towards energy equality .
Bryce Yonker
1mo
Such an important capability to bring at scale. Thanks for sharing how it came into action in the recent heat event.
Pete Tickler
1mo
Good effort. How was the demand recruited out of interest? Is this an established program like the UK Demand Flexibility Service? How are participants incentivised - meaningful cash (like the UK scheme) or more a token and instead appeal to customer's sense of civic responsibility?
Erica Keating
1mo
Well done! Load graphs are the instant gratification that make this field so fun. Thanks for sharing 🙌🏻
Nuria Holmes, MS
1mo
I actually get excited when my thermostat gets taken over by PGE! I love knowing that by offsetting my comfort for a few hours, I'm supporting the resiliency of our communal grid. I'll re-iterate that for participating in this program, PGE customers like myself received a rebate on our rates, but these programs have a larger impact. By using less power in our day-to-day lives, companies like PGE do not need to source power on the open market (which is expensive) to supplement the generating resources they already own. We avoid paying higher bills because they avoid needing to buy additional power. It's a win-win. Thanks for sharing Maria!
Affordable Housing. Energy. Climate. Greg Torres Fellow at Mass Inc. Grace Technician.
1moPGE must have demographic data. The issue with broad statements like this is that they frequently ignore individuals facing energy affordability challenges and lacking technology access due to digital inequalities. If PGE is akin to Massachusetts, it's certain that those who could benefit from load shifting to minimize costs are being overlooked.