All 3 major investor-owned utility companies in California have awarded demand response contracts to the electric vehicle charging solutions company eMotorWerks, according to a new press release.
The contracts regard participation in the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) Demand Response Auction Mechanism (DRAM) — which operates in the CAISO day-ahead market. eMotorWerks will be providing “precise EV charging load curtailment from its expanding JuiceNet network of EV charging stations to the wholesale market” via the contracts.
The company’s JuiceNet resources will also be used for participation in the CAISO real-time energy market.
The new press release provides more:
This marks the first aggregated EV charging station offering within the CAISO real-time energy market, providing another valuable resource to further benefit the electric grid in California. One of many commercial demand response programs around the world, the Demand Response Auction Mechanism is a California program that allows DR (demand response) capacity providers to be paid monthly for energy reductions they promise to deliver in the coming year.
eMotorWerks’ JuiceNet platform enables directly-controlled electrical assets, such as EV charging stations, electric water heaters, and other residential or industrial loads, to provide near-instantaneous response to CAISO signals using its cloud-based load management and dispatch. For EV charging loads, JuiceNet provides predictive modeling that aligns driver behavior and charging needs with local and regional level energy requirements of the grid, automatically and seamlessly modulating EV charging times and rates to maximize value to grid operators while saving EV drivers money.
“We’re thrilled to participate in the California DRAM, it is a very important step towards our vision of EV charging infrastructure supported by the Grid Services,” stated Valery Miftakhov, Founder of eMotorWerks. “Together with our participating customers, who will share in the proceeds via upfront product discounts or ongoing participation dividends, we’re the leading operator of controllable, distributed electrical loads, utilizing that capacity to improve grid efficiency and lower energy costs.”