Residential Storage Initiative Expected to
Expand to Several Hundred More Residential Customers in
2023
OAKLAND,
Calif., Dec. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Pacific Gas
and Electric Company (PG&E) and Enphase Energy are launching a
home battery energy storage program to support vulnerable,
low-income customers during power outages. Through the Residential
Storage Initiative, PG&E is providing battery systems at no
cost to approximately 100 residential customers who have been
frequently impacted by outages as a result of PG&E's Enhanced
Powerline Safety Settings (EPSS).
These enhanced safety settings protect millions of Californians
who live in high fire-risk areas within PG&E's service area. To
help prevent wildfire ignitions, the safety settings turn off power
within one-tenth of a second when a fault, such as a tree limb
contacting a powerline, is detected.
PG&E's use of these enhanced safety settings in high
fire-risk and select adjacent areas in 2022 has led to a 65%
reduction in ignitions in those areas.
PG&E is taking actions to reduce the burden of these
safety-related outages on customers and communities, including
partnering with Enphase to develop the Residential Storage
Initiative.
"We know power outages can be hard on our customers and even
more challenging for vulnerable populations. We expect this
initiative in collaboration with Enphase will help build
resilience, enhance reliability, and make life a little easier for
our customers when the power is turned off for safety," said
Aaron August, Vice President,
Utility Partnerships & Innovation, PG&E.
Eligible customers live in El
Dorado, Napa, and
Nevada counties; are enrolled in
the California Alternate Rates for Energy program; do not already
have a fixed power solution (such as a battery or permanently
installed generator); and have experienced the most frequent
safety-related outages.
While battery availability is limited to the first 100
enrollments on a first-come, first-served basis during the launch
phase of the initiative, PG&E and Enphase anticipate expanding
installations to several hundred new systems in 2023.
"PG&E is taking bold action with this home battery
initiative to provide its customers with innovative resiliency
options in communities that need it most. The Enphase IQ Battery
offers customers reliable home energy technology, and we look
forward to our continued partnership with PG&E to provide
additional support for enhanced grid security solutions," said
Dave Ranhoff, Chief Commercial
Officer at Enphase Energy.
Progress to Date and Next Steps
Since October, working with Enphase as the battery provider and
Richard Heath & Associates Inc.
(RHA) as the contracted installer, PG&E has reached out to
approximately 1,000 pre-qualified customers. The companies have
completed approximately 100 site assessments and installed
approximately 20 new home battery systems.
Participating customers will be auto enrolled in the PG&E
Power Saver Rewards program, which provides customers with a bill
credit during times of high electricity demand when they
voluntarily reduce energy consumption and use energy stored in
their battery systems. Learn more at powersaver.pge.com.
Additional Customer Resiliency Resources
For customers served by EPSS-enabled circuits that are not
eligible for a no-cost battery system through the Residential
Storage Initiative, PG&E has resources available to help
prepare for outages and stay safe, including the:
- Generator Rebate Program for customers who rely on well
water, customers in PG&E's Medical Baseline Program and certain
small businesses.
- Portable Battery Program for eligible customers in the
Medical Baseline Program who live in high fire-threat areas or have
experienced two or more Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) outages
since 2020.
- Expansion of the Backup Power Transfer Meter offering
to all customers on EPSS-capable circuits, making it easier and
safer for them to connect a generator.
- Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP) that PG&E
administers statewide. Eligible customers have been installing
permanent battery storage systems that if paired with solar can
keep them powered through an outage at no or low cost to them.
Customers can learn about the program here and find a
contractor here.
Visit www.pge.com/backuppower to explore backup power
options, fixed power solutions, and rebates.
About PG&E
PG&E, a subsidiary of PG&E
Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is a combined natural gas and electric
utility serving more than 16 million people across 70,000 square
miles in Northern and Central
California. For more information,
visit pge.com and pge.com/news
About Enphase Energy, Inc.
Enphase Energy, a
global energy technology company based in Fremont, CA, is the
world's leading supplier of microinverter-based solar and battery
systems that enable people to harness the sun to make, use, save,
and sell their own power—and control it all with a smart mobile
app. The company revolutionized the solar industry with its
microinverter-based technology and builds all-in-one solar,
battery, and software solutions. Enphase has shipped more
than 52 million microinverters, and over 2.7
million Enphase-based systems have been deployed in more
than 145 countries. For more information, visit
the Enphase website and follow the company
on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
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SOURCE Pacific Gas and Electric Company