CPS Energy Customers Respond to Record Energy Demand
CPS Energy meets record demand with the support of community’s conservation efforts
July 15, 2022 (SAN ANTONIO) — In response to requests from the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) to reduce demand as sweltering temperatures envelope the state, CPS Energy customers are answering the call for conservation. With 36 days of triple-digit heat so far this year, the CPS Energy team monitors grid conditions and customer demand, ensuring that Greater San Antonio is served with reliable power. Simultaneously, CPS Energy customers are conserving energy to support the community and, in turn, the state grid. On Wednesday, July 13, 2022, customers conserved 191 megawatts (MW) of electricity – enough to power about 38,200 homes on a hot, Texas day – through CPS Energy’s demand response programs – the WiFi Thermostat Rewards program, the Power PlayersSM program and commercial and industrial conservation.
Nearly 150,000 CPS Energy customers, 17% of electric customers, voluntarily participate in the smart thermostat program, or WiFi Thermostat Rewards. This program adjusts customers’ thermostats to save energy during conservation events. The utility also notifies more than 300,000 customers who are not in the thermostat rewards program to reduce energy use when needed as part of its Power PlayersSM program. Additionally, a daily color-coded conservation notification awareness initiative was launched in June 2022 for mass communication when energy conservation is needed.
“On peak demand days, the conservation efforts voluntarily implemented by our customers support grid reliability and climate resiliency. The power they save is the equivalent of a small power plant and it’s the cleanest form of energy available – the energy you don’t use,” said Benny Ethridge, CPS Energy’s executive vice president of Energy Supply. “We are grateful to our customers for their extraordinary efforts thus far and ask for their continued support.”
Alongside record residential conservation efforts, the San Antonio business community is playing an integral role in conserving energy. San Antonio Water System and University Health are among CPS Energy’s corporate conservation network partners committed to reducing their energy load demand when called upon.
The extreme temperatures and the rising costs of natural gas are resulting in higher-than-normal energy bills this summer. Customers can manage their bills through conservation efforts. CPS Energy will continue to proactively communicate conservation tips to customers and continues to encourage the community to conserve power, especially during the peak use hours of 2 p.m. through 7 p.m.
To view the daily conservation level, sign up for WiFi Thermostat Rewards smart thermostat program or for more information on conservation tips, visit cpsenergy.com.
###
About CPS Energy
Established in 1860, CPS Energy is the nation’s largest public power, natural gas, and electric company, providing safe, reliable, and competitively priced service to 907,526 electric and 373,988 natural gas customers in San Antonio and portions of seven adjoining counties. Our customers’ combined energy bills rank among the lowest of the nation’s 20 largest cities – _while generating $8 billion in revenue for the City of San Antonio for more than seven decades. As a trusted and strong community partner, we continuously focus on job creation, economic development, and educational investment. We are powered by our skilled workforce, whose commitment to the community is demonstrated through our employees’ volunteerism in giving back to our city and programs aimed at bringing value to our customers. CPS Energy is among the top public power wind energy buyers in the nation and number one in Texas for solar generation.
