Emergency programs” are now the largest category of demand response program by enrolled capacity,
propelled to this position by a dramatic increase in wholesale demand response enrollment.
These programs provide incentive payments—ranging from $150/MWh to $1,000/MWh of curtailed energy use—to customers who curtail demand during reliability events.
iv However, curtailment in emergency programs is generally voluntary and does not provide the grid operator or load-serving entity with the same degree of certainty of load reduction as direct load control or interruptible tariff programs.
Emergency programs accounted for 25% of national peak reduction potential reported in 2010.