Demand-side management shaves nearly 4 megawatts of peak load in 2024

The Bright Energy Solutions® (BES) program cut about 4 megawatts (MW) of peak load in 2024, with a total program cost of $655 per kilowatt (kW). Since 2008, BES has reduced peak demand by almost 96 MW, averaging about $567 per kW.

Similar to previous years, commercial and industrial (C&I) programs accounted for 90% of peak demand savings and 80% of total incentives. Lighting programs made up about 68% of C&I demand savings, followed by the custom program at 18%. The compressed-air program made up about 15% of C&I demand savings, as did heating and cooling.

Residential programs accounted for 10% of total demand savings and 20% of incentives. Heating and cooling measures carried the residential side of BES with 88% of residential peak demand savings and 87% of incentives paid. ENERGY STAR® appliances were responsible for the remaining residential savings and incentives.

Since the inception of the BES program in 2008, MRES has processed about 59,000 rebate applications and paid nearly $30 million in rebates to members’ retail customers.

Beneficial electrification incentives totaled $68,000 in 2024, a drop of 18% from 2023. Electrification measures added more than 13,000 megawatt-hours of load over the lifetime of the equipment. About 63% of electrification incentives went toward air-source heat pumps, while 27% was for home electric vehicle (EV) chargers. BES rebated 52 EV home chargers in 2024, double the number rebated in 2023.