Reserves and Regulation
Electric grid operators and utilities are required to keep some of their available generation resources in standby mode to allow them to respond to grid emergencies and changes in grid frequency. Grid operators and utilities are regularly paid for providing these standby services, known as reserves and regulation. In many parts of the United States, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) now mandates that large electricity end-users provide these services and receive payments comparable to generation resources. As a result, reserves and regulation programs have been developed across North America and the United Kingdom, including in New York, New England, the Mid-Atlantic region and Texas. A wide range of companies can participate in these programs, including companies in the industrial, commercial, retail, institutional and large residential sectors. Companies that qualify and are willing to reduce their electricity consumption in response to grid emergencies and changes in grid frequency can generate substantial revenue through their participation.To facilitate a client's participation, CPower conducts a thorough audit of the client's operations and current energy consumption. Based on its findings, CPower develops a customized curtailment plan, which may include a combination of load shifting, distributed generation, automated controls and load shedding.
CPower also develops a customized metering, control and communications platform to meet program specifications as well as the client's operational requirements. This platform will allow CPower to notify its clients of curtailment events immediately, monitor a client's load 24/7/365 and automate control procedures.
Reserves and regulation programs typically require real-time metering and monitoring of a client's load, advanced communications networks and response in either 5, 10, or 30 minutes. Load reductions must also typically be at least one megawatt (and sometimes as much as five megawatts), but CPower can often combine client load reductions to achieve these minimums.
CPower manages its clients' participation in these programs with turnkey solutions, allowing them to maintain focus on their core businesses.