SCE Base Interruptible Program (BIP) Guidelines

SCE Base Interruptible Program (BIP)

Program Season

Year-round

• Winter season: May – October
• Summer season: November – April

Program Hours

24/7/365

Dispatch Duration

1–6 hours, typically 1-3 hours

Dispatch Notice

30 minutes ahead

Dispatch Trigger

BIP is an emergency program used as a last line of defense against rolling blackouts. Dispatches can be called when energy supply is limited or the grid encounters serious transmission problems. Your participation is essential to maintaining the stability of the power grid in these conditions.

Participation Options

Curtail electrical load or transfer load to a qualified storage system. Back-up generators are ineligible as a demand response curtailment method.

Enrollment Strategy

Enel will work with you to determine your site’s enrollment value based on the electrical load pattern at your facility, performance in your dispatch readiness test, and information regarding your site’s operations. Each site is enrolled in the program at a “Firm Service Level” (FSL) value: the target energy level you must drop to or below during dispatches and audits.

You can only decrease your participation in BIP in the fall, either by leaving the program or by raising your FSL. Customers must contact Enel prior to November 1 to discuss any request to DECREASE participation, after which approved changes will go into effect in January of the following year.

Audit Requirements

SCE may audit the portfolio up to two times per year as they deem necessary. Enel expects audits to take place in summer and winter. Audit cadence and timing may vary depending on dispatch activity. Participation and performance in audits is treated the same as an emergency dispatch.

Dispatch Timing

Dispatches typically start in the late afternoon in summer and early morning in winter. Please make sure you have an off-hours contact listed for all enrolled sites. SCE does not provide an end time at the onset of a dispatch. We will notify you of the dispatch end time as soon as it is available. A dispatch will not exceed 6 hours.

Performance Measurement

In a dispatch, your electrical load needs to remain at or below your FSL, the “drop-to” target kW, regardless of where you were running at the start of the dispatch. If Enel meters your site, the online application will reflect a flat baseline based on your average load to help you visualize where you typically run vs your target.

Performance is measured as the average difference between electrical demand and your FSL for every 15-minute interval during a dispatch.

Keys for Success: Drop electric load to or below your target for the entirety of the dispatch to avoid payment reductions and being subject to additional audits. Execute your full participation plan and verify that equipment does not default back to normal operations during the dispatch.

Payment Calculation

Each calendar quarter is assessed separately in arrears for payment. Your capacity payment is based on your site’s “availability,” which refers to the difference between its average load and the FSL during peak hours (as defined by SCE).

To earn the full capacity payment, you must keep energy consumption at or below the FSL during all dispatches. If you miss your target during a dispatch, your capacity payment for that quarter will be reduced. If there are no dispatches in a given quarter, you will earn the full capacity payment.

You will be paid at a $/kW-year rate, which fluctuates seasonally. Rates are typically higher in the summer.

Any underperformance may result in reduced enrollment and earning potential for future seasons.