Will my house lose power during an event if I am enrolled?
Your home will not lose power
Nothing is shut off. During an event, your battery sends some of its stored energy to the grid. Your lights, air conditioning, refrigerator and everything else keep running as usual.
What is this program?
The Emergency Load Reduction Program (ELRP). It was created by the California Public Utilities Commission and is run by Southern California Edison.
During a grid emergency, the program calls an "event." Events happen May through October, between 4 PM and 9 PM, and typically last 1 to 5 hours. Homes with battery storage that share energy during an event are paid for it.
Does it cost money to enroll?
No. Enrolling is free. There is no sign-up fee and no membership fee.
Once enrolled you get a discount on your electricity rates.
Does this cost me anything out of pocket?
No. The state has subsidized the installation of all of the equipment.
The only difference this makes to you is a discount on your electricity bill.
Is this selling solar?
No, this is not selling your solar. The goal is to get storage batteries onto homes. The program needs the battery to be full when the grid calls on it. It does not matter what charged it.
Batteries can be charged from:
- Solar
- Wind
- Micro-hydro
- Fuel cells
- Microturbines / CHP
- Biogas
- Geothermal
- Backup generators
- The grid
An approved aggregator comes out to verify which equipment your home qualifies for and to show you how much of a discount you would get.
Why are they doing this if nothing is free?
It is a trade. A few evenings each year, California needs more electricity than its power plants can deliver. The alternatives are running emergency power plants, buying power from out of state, or rolling blackouts.
Home batteries do the same job for less money. The program pays you because your battery provides power the grid needs.
Why is the state doing this?
To take stress off the grid. In August 2020 an extreme heat wave left California short on electricity and forced rotating power outages across the state.
In 2021 the California Public Utilities Commission created the Emergency Load Reduction Program to help prevent that from happening again. It pays customers to reduce their use or share stored energy when the grid is close to its limit.
Read more from the California Public Utilities Commission and Southern California Edison, or see all references.
How much would I get paid?
Up to $2 per kilowatt-hour of energy your battery shares during an event.
Depending on the size of the system, that is roughly $16 to $450 per event.
What other benefits do I get?
Your agreement with an approved aggregator locks in your electricity rate at an approved rate, so you keep that rate when Edison raises its rates. The rate is set for each home at the home visit.
When your system sends extra power to the grid you also earn export credits on your Edison bill. Read more about these benefits.
How often do events happen?
Only during grid emergencies. Events happen May through October, between 4 PM and 9 PM, and typically last 1 to 5 hours.