PG&E Emergency Load Reduction Program

Homeowners with battery storage can earn incentives for helping reduce peak demand on the electric grid as part of PG&E’s Emergency Load Reduction Program.

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Earn money by helping PG&E reduce peak demand

New and existing Enphase battery owners in the PG&E service area can choose to discharge their battery systems during high grid demand events from May to October each year. In return for helping reduce stress on the PG&E grid, Emergency Load Reduction Program (ELRP) participants will earn $2 per kilowatt-hour for credited load reduction.

For example: A homeowner with two IQ Battery 10s who selects a 20% Backup Reserve can contribute up to 16 kWh during an ELRP event. If this homeowner’s system would normally discharge to serve 4 kWh of load during the hours of the event, the homeowner could be credited for delivering 12 kWh (16 kWh – 4 kWh = 12 kWh).

At $2/kWh, this would mean $24 in compensation for that event.

Support the grid and your community

By helping reduce peak grid demand, you are helping to avoid or reduce the likelihood of power outages in your community. You are also helping to clean up the grid by avoiding the use of power from less-efficient plants that come online when electricity demand is at its highest. And your battery will not discharge below the Backup Reserve level you select, allowing you to maintain your own backup power capacity while you help your community.

Start now

If you are in PG&E service territory, open your Enphase App and tap Menu > Services > Grid Services to get started. (Terms and conditions apply.)

FAQs

The Emergency Load Reduction Program, or ELRP, is a new program from PG&E that pays participants a cash incentive of $2 for each kilowatt-hour (kWh) of load reduced by using (discharging) electricity stored in their own battery during peak demand periods, or program events. ELRP events last from one to three hours, and will be scheduled between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m on days they occur. Between 20 and 60 event hours will be scheduled during each ELRP season (May 1 to October 31).

If you choose to participate, Enphase will discharge your battery system during each ELRP event at the kW rate you select, down to the reserve state of charge you select for your battery. PG&E will evaluate the load reduction your battery discharge creates, and pay you $2 for each kWh of credited load reduction at the end of the ELRP season.

These are located in the red highlighted areas on the bill you receive each month from PG&E, as shown in the example below.

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Anyone with a new or existing Enphase battery system is eligible to participate in ELRP.

You can apply to participate in ELRP by opening your Enphase App, tapping Menu > Services > Grid Services and selecting Pacific Gas and Electric. After you complete the enrollment forms provided, Enphase will send the information you enter to PG&E for review. If they accept your application, Enphase will finalize your enrollment.

Yes, IQ Battery 5Ps may be enrolled in ELRP.

Incentives paid out by PG&E as part of ELRP will depend on a number of factors. These include the number and duration of events called, the number of events you opt to participate in, and PG&E’s evaluation of your battery system’s contributions to load reduction. Many participants can expect to earn between $100 and $250 per year, though the amount you earn may differ. Additionally, PG&E may impose threshold limits on the minimum amount it will pay out per customer—for example, customers earning a very small dollar amount may not receive a payout from PG&E. This lower limit for incentives will be determined by PG&E at the end of each event season.

During the enrollment process, you will need to select the kilowatt (kW) rate at which you would like your battery system to discharge during ELRP events. The amount of energy (in kilowatt-hours, or kWh) you deliver during an event will be the kW rate multiplied by the duration of the event.

Let’s say, for example, that you have one IQ Battery 10 installed (with 10 kWh of capacity), you select a 3 kW discharge rate, and an ELRP event lasts two hours. You will then discharge 6 kWh of energy (or less, if you set a Reserve State of Charge higher than 4 kWh).

You may also choose to opt out of any events you choose to, though you will not be compensated for these events.

ELRP is currently scheduled to continue through October 31, 2027. The program may be extended beyond that date, but this has not yet been confirmed by PG&E.

IQ Batteries will remain active with backup mode enabled if there’s a grid outage during an ELRP event. You will only be asked to discharge your battery during ELRP events, and you can opt out of any event you choose to.

Participants may opt out of an ELRP event by selecting the “Opt-out” feature in the Enphase App prior to the event.

You are free to leave the program at any time by providing written notice to gridservicessupport@enphaseenergy.com