Emergency Load Reduction Program (ELRP)
A flexible way to get incentives for using less energy.
San Diego Gas & Electric’s® Emergency Load Reduction Program (ELRP) is a voluntary Demand Response (DR) program that was created to support the statewide grid with a goal of preventing rotating power outages during the hot summer months. By participating, your business can earn financial incentives of $2 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) for reducing energy during a grid emergency. There are no penalties if you can’t participate.
Am I eligible for the ELRP?
Individual bundled and unbundled non-residential (commercial, industrial, and agricultural) SDG&E customers, Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) service customers, and Direct Access (DA) customers who meet the following criteria are eligible to enroll in the program:
- Able to reduce load by a minimum of 1 kilowatt (kW) during an event
- Not currently enrolled in another supply-side demand response (DR) program offered by a utility, a third-party demand response provider (DRP) or a CCA.
Aggregators and third-party demand response providers can enroll in the program. If you are enrolled with an aggregator or third-party demand response provider, please contact them for information about the program.
How does ELRP work?
Eligible businesses that voluntarily reduce energy load during an emergency can earn money and help prevent power outages this summer by participating in ELRP events.
An ELRP event may be called any day of the week from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. during the months of May through October, but not to exceed more than 60 hours per season. Events may be called on consecutive days, depending on grid conditions, and durations vary by subgroup as follows:
- Subgroups A1, A2, A3, B1, B2: 1-5 hours
- Subgroups A4, A5: 1-3 hours
Events are scheduled in response to California Independent System Operator (CAISO) notices.
For Day-Ahead events, notifications will be sent generally by 5 p.m. via email and/or text the day before the event occurs. For Day-Of events, notifications will be sent after the CAISO notice is issued.
For more information about the timing of ELRP events, please refer to the “When will an event be scheduled?” question in the Customer FAQ.
Your business can earn a bill credit of $2 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) for verified load reduction during an event. Participation during an ELRP event is entirely voluntary and there is no penalty if you choose not to participate.
What are the differences between enrolling with SDG&E instead of an aggregator/third-party demand response provider?
You can choose to enroll with SDG&E, an aggregator or third-party DR provider.
SDG&E offers an online application for individual customers. Once reviewed and confirmed, you may receive emails and/or text notifications from SDG&E to reduce your energy use in response to ELRP events.
If you directly enroll and you’re able to successfully reduce your energy use, you will receive a bill credit based on your energy savings. Refer to the “What information do I need to enroll?” question in the Customer FAQ for more information about the enrollment process.
If you want to enroll with an aggregator, you will have to first join an aggregation which the aggregator enrolls in the ELRP. You will receive event dispatches and payments directly from the aggregator, rather than from SDG&E. Aggregators have different enrollment processes, so you should reach out to them directly if you are interested in joining their aggregation. In some cases, if you have a Distributed Energy Resource (e.g. battery energy storage, EV chargers, etc.) installed, your equipment provider may offer you an opportunity to join their aggregation. For information on aggregators registered with the California Public Utilities commission, please consult this website. Note that not all of these aggregators are participating in the ELRP.
How long will it take to verify my enrollment?
The verification process for individual customers enrolling in the ELRP may take up to two weeks in cases of multiple enrolled sites or export selection. If any of your meters are ineligible for ELRP, you will be notified during the online enrollment process.
For questions regarding eligibility, email [email protected] or call (833) 227-2513.
The Emergency Load Reduction (ELRP) Program is funded by California utility customers under the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission and implemented by Olivine, Inc. under a contract awarded by San Diego Gas & Electric Company (SDG&E®). California customers who choose to participate in this program are not obligated to purchase any additional services offered by the contractor. The trademarks used herein are the property of their respective owners.