Redondo Beach joins “virtual power plant”, targeting AES
by Garth Meyer Redondo Beach has had a physical power plant since 1954. It will now have a virtual power plant, which may help shut down the former. Leah Goodman, business development and partnerships manager for Ohmconnect, spoke to the Redondo Beach city council April 12. She explained what a “virtual power plant” is. During a surge in demand for power, OhmConnect, based in Oakland, taps its members to conserve kilowatt hours of energy, byway of free devices attached to home electrical outlets. For example, during peak time, users’ refrigerators would turn off for an hour or two. The aim is to conserve enough energy so that (backup) power generators such as the AES plant in Redondo Beach are not necessary. The city council voted 4-0 to offer the program to residents. Councilman Todd Loewenstein was not in attendance. Participation is free. Residents earn cash payments and/or prizes for kilowatt hours saved. “Ohmconnect pays people for not using power when it’s most expensive,” said City Attorney Mike Webb, who brought the proposal to the council. “When power prices go up, the idea is ‘we can meet the need by X amount of reduction’… helping the oldest power plant on our coast…
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