Overview
The municipality wanted to participate more effectively in demand response programs while maintaining reliable public services across a large and distributed municipal portfolio. With extensive backup generation capacity and many facilities across the city, had clear potential, but needed a partner to assess site suitability, identify curtailment opportunities, and support program participation without disrupting critical operations.
Rodan helped the city evaluate its portfolio, identify the most suitable sites for participation, and develop a more structured approach to demand response. The result was a scalable program that created measurable value while supporting grid stability.
The Challenge
The city faced a common challenge for large public-sector organizations: it had significant demand response potential, but not a simple path to activating it. City staff needed to understand which assets could safely shed load, which facilities had backup generation appropriate for participation, and how to maintain service continuity during event periods.
The city also needed practical support during enrollment and dispatch periods, including event alerts, program guidance, and confidence that facilities could continue to serve residents during participation.
Our Solution
Rodan provided a full demand response assessment and enrollment strategy tailored to a distributed municipal portfolio. The team prescreened city assets, identified sites capable of shedding load, and recommended where existing generation assets could best support participation.
Rodan also provided the operational structure needed to support participation, including program guidance, event notification support, and practical recommendations that aligned energy management with service continuity.
Implementation
- Rodan first assessed the city’s site portfolio and existing generation capacity to determine which facilities were best suited for demand response participation. Following that assessment, 22 sites were enrolled in the program for a combined demand response capacity of more than 5 MW.
- Rodan supported the city through the enrollment process and ongoing participation, ensuring city staff understood the process and received notice when demand response events were likely. This helped the city participate without compromising essential services.
Key Takeaways
- This case shows that large public-sector organizations can unlock meaningful value from demand response when they have the right portfolio strategy and operational support. For the city, the key was not just participating in a program, it was identifying the right sites, aligning participation with operational realities, and building a repeatable structure that worked across multiple facilities.
- This case shows that large public-sector organizations can unlock meaningful value from demand response when they have the right portfolio strategy and operational support. For the city, the key was not just participating in a program, it was identifying the right sites, aligning participation with operational realities, and building a repeatable structure that worked across multiple facilities.
