Heat waves aren't strangers to Austin, but the city is getting proactive with a significant notch-up of the Commercial Demand Response program through Austin Energy. In a move that'll get a nod of approval from both budget hawks and green advocates, Austin Energy has now got an impressive roster of 195 city buildings actively participating in the program, aiming to shave off more than six megawatts (MW) from the city's power consumption during those sweat-breaking peaks.
It's no trivial figure; six MW is a hefty slice of power – enough juice to keep the AC blasting in about 250 homes per gig during peak times – as highlighted by the City of Austin. But it's not just city buildings that are keeping their energy use in check. State and federal buildings are also chipping in, bringing total governmental chops to the table with 295 facilities committed to squeezing their electric use when demand response events are called.
The successful expansion is credited to cooperation across multiple departments and levels of government, with city staff receiving the know-how, tools, and year-round support needed to play their part each summer. Running from June through September, the program trains participants to cool down their energy use by implementing facility-specific power-saving measures. An incentive program sweetens the deal – performance summaries and reward estimates are provided to participating facilities at the end of the season.
Real-time alerts keep participants on their toes ahead of demand response events, but the ongoing coaching and annual training sessions ensure that improvement is more than a seasonal affair. According to a statement by Richard Genece, Vice President for Customer Energy Solutions at Austin Energy, "Since the City Council’s resolution to enroll all appropriate City of Austin buildings into our Commercial Demand Response program last April, we’ve seen a potential increase of 3.485 MW of energy demand savings." The larger goal stands robust – to hit 270 MW of Demand Response by 2035, a milestone geared towards keeping the grid reliable and tipping the scales in favor of a climate-resilient Austin.
For Austinites curious about the nuts and bolts of the program or hungry for more technical details, they can visit austinenergy.com for a deeper dive. With the city not just betting but actively investing in demand response, Austin looks set to lead by example in marrying energy savings with climate responsibility – one megawatt and one reduced electric bill at a time.
