An impressive 195 City of Austin buildings are enrolled in Austin Energy’s Commercial Demand Response Program, marking a significant step toward a cleaner, more energy-efficient Austin, Texas, the public power utility said on July 10.
Demand response is a program that enables electricity customers to reduce their power consumption during periods of high demand or when the grid is under stress.
Those buildings alone boast an estimated demand response potential of more than six megawatts -- enough to help significantly reduce strain on the electric grid during peak times, Austin Energy noted.
According to ERCOT, the Texas grid operator, one megawatt hour of electricity can power approximately 250 homes in Texas during peak demand periods. Government buildings at the county, state and federal levels also contribute to demand response, totaling 295 participating government facilities.
This expansion was made possible through close collaboration between Austin Energy and staff across city, county, state and federal facilities. Staff are provided training, tools and ongoing support to prepare for participation in the program, which runs each summer from June through September, Austin Energy said.
Participants receive real-time alerts ahead of demand response events and implement facility-specific strategies to reduce their energy use for the duration of the event. At the end of each season, facilities receive a personalized scorecard summarizing their performance and estimated incentives earned. Ongoing coaching and annual training sessions ensure continual improvement across departments.
The demand response program is a vital part of Austin Energy’s strategy to meet the goals set in Austin Energy’s Resource, Generation and Climate Protection Plan to 2035, which targets 270 MW of demand response by 2035.
By temporarily reducing electric usage at peak times, the program helps maintain grid reliability while saving money and supporting Austin’s climate resilience.
“Since the City Council’s resolution to enroll all appropriate City of Austin buildings into our Commercial Demand Response program last April, we’ve seen a potential increase of 3.485 MW of energy demand savings,” said Richard Genece, Austin Energy's Vice President for Customer Energy Solutions at Austin Energy.
“Achieving our climate goals starts with energy conservation and continues with as much participation in our demand response programs as possible. The more participation that we have in our demand response programs, the closer that we get to that 270 MW by 2035 goal," he said.
