PSE launches demand response pilot program on Bainbridge Island

Peak Energy Rewards is designed to help meet the community’s energy needs by leveraging smart thermostats and other energy efficiency measures

Bellevue, Washington (11/14/2022) Puget Sound Energy (PSE) has launched Peak Energy Rewards on Bainbridge Island. This demand response pilot program uses smart technology to help meet the community’s electric capacity needs and is designed to reduce the need for additional new infrastructure.

Demand response is a strategy to decrease demand on an energy grid during peak usage times. It involves modifying the way customers use energy – particularly when they use it, and is a way for PSE and our customers to increase efficiency and potentially reduce our collective carbon footprint. Those who sign up for Peak Energy Rewards give PSE limited, voluntary access to their thermostat to help smooth out energy demand by remotely adjusting the temperature setting in participants’ homes. Customers will always have full control of their thermostat and can change the temperature whenever they want.

“We are excited to launch this new program as part of our unique hybrid solution on Bainbridge Island to combine new technologies and grid infrastructure to improve reliability and capacity,” said Gilbert Archuleta, director of customer energy management at PSE. “This ensures safe, dependable power for families and businesses for years to come while we work together to create a cleaner energy future.”

How Peak Energy Rewards works:

To smooth out the demand for energy during peak usage periods, PSE will increase the temperature in a participant’s home ahead of a cold weather event and then lower the thermostat setting for a few hours once cold weather hits. These Peak Energy Rewards demand response events will only occur between the hours of 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. from November to March, for a maximum of 4 hours per event. Events will not occur during weekends or holidays. Bainbridge Island customers who participate likely won’t notice a difference in comfort, and will be helping to create a more energy-efficient system in their community. Plus, participants can always opt out before or during a Peak Energy Rewards demand response event by manually adjusting their thermostat.

As a reward for joining, participants receive an annual incentive. Customers who already have a smart thermostat from Nest, ecobee or Mysa can join by enrolling their current device in Peak Energy Rewards demand response events.

Peak Energy Rewards also aligns with PSE’s aspirational goal of reducing carbon emissions to net zero and helping other sectors decarbonize. Demand response has the potential to reduce overall energy use, and PSE’s goal is to partner with customers and industries to identify programs and products that help reduce emissions.

PSE is already an energy efficiency national leader, saving 67 billion electric kWh and 600 million natural gas therms through energy efficiency programs since the inception of our programs that help our customers save energy. This is the equivalent of eliminating the typical residential customer electric usage for one year for roughly 6.2 million homes and eliminating the typical residential customer natural gas usage for one year for roughly 800,000 homes.

To learn more or enroll your device visit pse.com/peakenergyrewards, or call 1-833-203-1947.

Media Contact:

Andrew Padula, 1-888-831-7250, psenewsroom@pse.com