The demand response programs help balance electricity supply and demand and improve reliability by offering financial incentives to encourage customers to voluntarily reduce their electricity usage during periods of high demand.
Three new programs for residents include: a smart thermostat program, an electric vehicle charging program, and a battery storage program. Residents can participate in all three programs if they meet each program’s qualifications. These programs are only for Entergy Louisiana customers. Entergy New Orleans customers have separate programs.
Also approved in addition to the residential offerings is a program for agricultural customers that incentivizes irrigation load control, as well as a program for commercial and industrial customers to curtail their loads in times of high electricity demand.
By 2030, Entergy Louisiana expects to save 155 MW of electricity demand through the various programs, equivalent to the capacity of a small natural gas plant.
“Demand response allows us to invest in people, not expensive new infrastructure, while still improving reliability and lowering costs,” said Alaina DiLaura, the Alliance for Affordable Energy’s LPSC Policy Coordinator.
“We are pleased to see the Commission approve a robust set of demand response programs for residents to participate in,” said DiLaura. “As the program grows, we’d love to see a focus on signing up customers in load pockets, areas where there is an imbalance in supply and demand that threatens access to power.”
By targeting these programs where they are needed most, demand response can become an even more powerful tool to prevent mass power outages.
