Context
- California currently issues ‘Flex Alerts; a call for consumers to voluntarily conserve electricity when there is a predicted shortage of energy supply, especially if the grid operator needs to dip into reserves to cover demand.
Results
- Since the year 2000, ‘Flex Alerts’ have been issued a total of 104 times, with each alert ranging for a few hours to a day.
- The most recent alert reduced demand by 540 megawatts that day. Given that 1 megawatt powers roughly 1,000 homes, the Flex Alert response amounted to enough to power 500,000 homes.
Methods
- Alerts are issued a day in advance so that consumers can better prepare for the event
- The campaign asks consumers to set thermostat at 78° F ( ~ 26°C) or higher
