200,000 Californians help the grid out in tough times and get paid for it. Now that's up in the air

"Nancy Lipps and her son John Lipps, in Dinuba, are one of more than 200,000 households in California signed up for a statewide program that pays them to help the grid when it's very hot outside and electricity is at peak demand. They have a battery hooked up to their solar panels, and they share power from it in times of need. It was an easy choice."

"The state's Demand-Side Grid Management program works by tapping into an army of smart thermostats, EV chargers, and solar-powered batteries that are registered to share power or ramp down electricity use when the grid is strained. According to clean energy advocates, the program, launched in 2022, has been a resounding success, with the enrolled households creating more than an entire gigawatt of power when state needs it."

"One health benefit of "demand response" programs like this is that they keep older, dirtier gas fired power plants from turning on. "At the exact moment when the grid is dirtiest and most expensive to run, this program surges in with the cheapest and cleanest power," said Leah Stokes, an energy expert and professor at UC Santa Barbara."

"Yet that's in jeopardy as the program faces budget cuts for the third consecutive year. A from Gov. Gavin Newsom would stop funding it after 2026, and transfer its customers to a program at the California Public Utilities Commission. Advocates say that would cru"

Nancy Lipps and her son John Lipps participate in a California statewide demand-side grid management program that compensates households for helping the electric grid during very hot periods when demand peaks. Their home uses solar panels with a connected battery, and they share stored power when needed. Participation is described as beneficial for neighbors and grid sustainability, and it provides a $300 annual credit. The program relies on smart thermostats, EV chargers, and solar-powered batteries that can ramp down usage or share power when the grid is strained. Launched in 2022, it has generated more than an entire gigawatt of power during state needs. Health and environmental benefits include keeping older, dirtier gas plants from running. Funding is at risk due to budget cuts, with a proposal to stop funding after 2026 and move customers to a different program.

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