The TNMP Load Management programs invite commercial class customers (including governmental, non-profit, and institutional customers) receiving distribution-level service to provide on-call, voluntary curtailment of electric consumption in return for incentive payments. TNMP is offering payments of $40/kW for the average demand reduction delivered by participating customers, who will receive notice of the request to curtail at least 30 minutes before they must reduce load. Incentive payments are based on verified delivery of demand savings through TNMP analysis of billing data. Customers are not required to produce a specific level of curtailed load; however, customers will only receive payment for the amount of load curtailed.
TNMP offers substantial incentives to program participants with little or no downside risk. Program participants decide how to reduce load in response to the 30 minute notice, so as a participant you maintain control over your facility at all times. There are no penalties associated with non-delivery, so you also assume no financial risks: if you do not deliver, you simply do not receive payment. A payment for which you cannot be eligible if you did not participate!
The summer program runs from June 1 to September 30. During this period, customers should be prepared to shed load on weekdays (excluding holidays) between the hours of 1 PM and 7 PM. Participants commit to delivering a maximum of 18 hours of load shed, spread across a maximum of five events.
These five events include one scheduled event, typically called in early June, in which customers are asked to shed load for 1 to 2 hours to demonstrate they can deliver the load reduction. Over the rest of the summer, anywhere from zero to four additional unscheduled load reduction events may be called. The maximum duration of any event will be 4 hours: no event will extend outside the 1 PM to 7 PM window.
The main goals of the Load Management programs are to reduce demand in the TNMP service territory in a cost-effective manner and to help TNMP reach the demand savings goals established by the legislature and PUCT regulations.
The following standard incentive rate is applied to the verified peak demand savings achieved through curtailments:
| Payment | Rate | |
| Incentive | $40/kW |
The incentive is paid on the weighted average of delivered kW demand reduction across all events.
TNMP customers can participate in this program by either self-sponsoring or by working through a third party project sponsor: the project sponsor is simply the entity that signs up to deliver a given amount of load reduction. A project sponsor may accomplish this by offering load at a single location or by combining multiple locations. However, an individual location (Project Site) should be capable of delivering 50 kW of load reduction. Project Sponsors can participate in this project through a Five-Step Process described in detail in the Program Manual. The five steps are (1) Application, (2) Contracting, (3) Performance (4) Measurement and Verification, and (5) Payment of Incentives to the Project Sponsor.
The complete Program Manual provides detailed information. For answers to specific questions contact Stefani Case at 214-222-4174, or by email at Stefani.Case@tnmp.com.