Electricity Demand Response

Demand response programs are used by utilities to change electricity consumption patterns and respond to the economic and reliability needs of the power grid. 

For example, the Public Service Company of Colorado (also known as Xcel Energy) recently projected an electricity capacity shortfall, in part due to reduced capacity at some of their power plants. Xcel Energy plans to overcome this shortfall using several strategies, including demand response programs. This issue brief provides an overview and examples of demand response programs in Colorado.