Olivine Steps Up to Help California Navigate its Latest Grid Emergency

The heatwave California endured from August 31 to September 9, 2022, was the worst September we have seen, resulting in record-setting temperatures over the 10-day period.  During this period there were more grid emergency notices than anytime since 2001, with the California Independent Systems Operator (CAISO) issuing multiple Flex Alerts, and Energy Emergency Alerts (EEA) – EEA 1, 2 and 3.  The state saw stakeholders and consumers from all industries provide support in an attempt to avoid rolling blackouts while managing the heat wave and wildfires.

Olivine was proud to be part of that effort and one of the key stakeholders who rose to the occasion.  While our team worked steadily to bring capacity online for such an extreme event, we also went into overdrive throughout the heatwave, working many long hours through the long weekend, collaborating with others across the state to enable flexible resources and reduce load to avoid rolling blackouts.  Using its ClimateResponse® technology solutions, Olivine was able to support the investor-owned utilities (IOUs) in California with their implementation of the Emergency Load Reduction Program (ELRP) as well as the residential Power Saver Rewards program, enrolling millions of customers throughout both PG&E and SCE territory.

Many of California’s electric customers receive their power from government agencies or municipalities and are therefore not eligible to enroll in these IOU programs.  Therefore, while the utility team at Olivine was focused on ELRP, the programs team stepped into the Demand Side Grid Support (DSGS) Program as both an aggregator and a service provider, leveraging the same ClimateResponse® technology solutions.  Olivine’s customers and aggregations who were eligible were enrolled in the program, and through additional outreach our team was able to enroll and dispatch an additional 38 MW into the DSGS within several days. Olivine’s breadth of program administration experience and technical capabilities made it possible to provide support during this emergency and we will continue to offer support to POUs and other agencies who may need it.

As emergency program models continue to evolve and improve, Olivine will stand with our clients, customers and partners to create a resilient grid and adapt to climate change.

Connect with us today to find out more.