PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

Demand for electricity continues to increase while the supply of electricity remains stagnant. Because of this, there is a serious possibility of brownouts and blackouts during periods of high demand. The New York Independent System Operator (NYISO), the operator of New York's electricity grid, is very concerned about this situation and have placed more emphasis on demand response programs.

Significant dollars are now available through these programs to businesses that can reduce all or some of their electric requirements for the few short hours a year that the electric grid is unstable due to high demands. ECS is the largest authorized administrator of these NYISO programs, with 2,000 MW of load under management and thousands of facilities participating in its program. More than $35 million has been paid to participating manufacturers, hotels, nursing homes, hospitals, schools, high-rise properties and others over the past 5 years.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS: Download pdf version of Program Highlights

• You are paid a minimum guaranteed amount per kilowatt annually based on the amount of the committed curtailable load or reduced electric (capacity payment).  This "curtailment" results from load shedding (reduction) and/or the operation of on-site generation .



• You also qualify for additional payments based on the amount actually reduced and the duration of that curtailment, during an energy emergency (energy payment) . You are paid just as if you are a power plant selling electricity to the NYISO.



• There is no cost to participate! You will never pay a dime for metering, enrolling, or anything else. In fact, if you have an on-site generator and you are running it as part of your participation in this program, ECS even reimburses you for the fuel expense (natural gas or diesel) associated with doing so.



• You receive a day-ahead notice that you will be needed on the following day to reduce electricity during a specified time frame.



• Historically, there have been only 2 to 3 test or event days per year requesting a reduction of electricity, from a minimum of 1 hour to a maximum of 4 hours on those days.



• If you reduce electricity as requested for only 1 hour in the winter and 1 hour in the summer, you will be paid your capacity payment. If the call is for 3 hours and you only perform for 1 hour, you may be affected in future periods by being de-rated, but you will definitely receive the capacity payment because you performed the 1 hour necessary.



•  No financial penalties for non-performance. If we call on you to curtail power and you don't, you will never be financially penalized by us. ECS does not impose financial penalties for non-performance.  You will never be billed or charged back for failing to meet your curtailment objective. 



• If you fail to perform, but do perform to some degree, you are still paid for how much you curtail . In other words, it is not all or nothing. The effect of failing to continually perform is that we may not ask you to remain in the program in later periods and you may be de-rated for the next seasonal periods.



• There have been periods of time when NYISO didn't call a test or event at all. If no emergency event or test is called by NYISO, you still receive payment without any action on your part!



• We install interval metering  at your facility free of charge.  Also, there are no monthly service, data hosting or maintenance charges associated with the meter.  This easily installed metering provides data you can utilize to more effectively manage your facility's energy usage. There is no interruption to your facility during installation of the meter.

For general information on Demand Response Programs CLICK HERE

For Demand Response Reduction Strategies CLICK HERE

To enroll now, CLICK HERE

To find out how much your facility can receive, CLICK HERE and submit the Information Sheet