San José Clean Energy expands demand response program with Uplight
San José Clean Energy, an electric utility for the California city, is expanding its demand response (DR) program with Uplight. San José Clean Energy will utilize Uplight to manage customer distributed energy resources (DERs) as part of a virtual power plant (VPP).
The first phase of the program, now live, includes a variety of flexibility management strategies through a combination of residential and C&I DR. Through Uplight’s platform, San José Clean Energy can enroll a total of 25 MW of dispatchable capacity by 2028, and 5 MW by the end of summer 2025.
“We’re committed to enabling utilities like San José Clean Energy to offer their customers an intuitive process for enrolling and participating in flexibility management programs, and making it as easy as possible to experience financial benefits while also contributing to the energy transition,” stated Luis D’Acosta, CEO of Uplight.
Uplight demand response
Uplight’s tech incorporates both behavioral motivation and direct device control. With Uplight, a utility can call events that incentivize customers to reduce or shift their energy during times of peak demand, cost-effectively harness grid-connected devices to meet growing peak demand, alleviate strain on the grid, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions while also delivering high customer satisfaction.
San José Clean Energy DR program
With a more robust demand response program, utilities like San José Clean Energy can help all customer segments, from residential to commercial & industrial (C&I), save money on their energy costs while alleviating strain on the grid.
By the end of 2025, customers will be able to enroll a variety of grid-connected devices in the program, including smart thermostats, home batteries, electric vehicle (EV) chargers, and water heaters.
The two companies are also collaborating to expand the traditional DR format to include daily load management with EVs and home batteries, including an innovative approach to encourage customers to charge their EVs during the midday hours, when solar energy is abundant.
The San José Clean Energy program leverages innovative incentive structures to maximize load reduction per participating customer. For example, the utility’s BDR program is live in three languages, English, Spanish, and Chinese, and will expand to Vietnamese in the coming months. Additionally, the utility will provide quarterly bill credits for performance, meaning participants will have rewards for energy saving earnings directly applied as bill savings.
