Critical Peak Pricing
With a Critical Peak Pricing plan (CPP-D), it matters when your business uses energy — especially when a Critical Peak Pricing (CPP) Day is called. By reducing your energy use on a CPP Day, you help keep the electric grid stable for California when demand reaches a critical peak. Your business may even save money too.
SDG&E customers can enroll in a Critical Peak Pricing Plan and can maximize savings by knowing the details of your plan. This plan also has a Critical Peak Pricing event day component where you may be asked to conserve energy to help the environment and power grid.
|
|
$ Super Off-Peak |
$$ Off Peak |
$$$ On-Peak |
$$$$ Critical Peak Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weekdays |
12 a.m. – 6 a.m. 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. |
6 a.m. – 4 p.m. 9 p.m. – 12 a.m. |
4 p.m. – 9 p.m. | |
| Weekends and holidays | 12 a.m. – 2 p.m. |
2 p.m. – 4 p.m. 9 p.m. – 12 a.m. |
4 p.m. – 9 p.m. | |
| Critical Peak Pricing Event | 4 p.m. – 9 p.m. |
* Critical Peak Pricing (CPP) Days may be called when energy use and demand on the grid are high. The CPP Event Period rate is an additional charge that will be billed to customers from 4 p.m. – 9 p.m. during a CPP Event Day in addition to the corresponding energy charges for the time period. The CPP Event Period rate is not applicable during non-CPP Event Days. For up-to-date pricing schedules and additional pricing plan details you visit our Total Electric Rates page.
Plan Features
Two ways to save: shifting when you use and conserving
- Peak pricing between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m.
- Three pricing periods include super savings during nights, weekends and holidays
- Includes up to 18 Critical Peak Pricing Event Days per year
- Includes Capacity Reservation option
Plan Pricing and Additional Information
For up-to-date pricing schedules and additional pricing plan details you can visit our Total Electric Rates page.
Critical Peak Pricing (CPP) Days may be called when energy use and demand on the grid are high. The CPP Event Period rate is an additional charge that will be billed to customers from 4 p.m. – 9 p.m. during a CPP Event Day in addition to the corresponding energy charges for the time period. The CPP Event Period rate is not applicable during non-CPP Event Days.
Critical Peak Pricing event day notifications will be sent out via text or email by 3 p.m. the day before an event day is activated. If you’re enrolled in this pricing plan, now is a good time to make sure that your contact information is up to date to make sure that you are prepared for a CPP event day. Up to 18 events can be called per year. If called, you’ll be asked to conserve energy between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. When demand for energy and pricing is the highest.
Capacity Reservation. With your pricing plan, you can choose a Capacity Reservation Charge (CRC) amount that allows you to protect a portion of your anticipated energy need from the higher peak pricing on a Critical Peak Pricing Event Day when you cannot conserve energy.
For more details on this pricing plan please reference the CPP-D tariff ,
Frequently Asked Questions
If your business is able to reduce energy during CPP events, you may benefit from CPP. CPP events are called up to 18 times per calendar year.
CPP Days may be called up to 18 times per calendar year. They can occur year-round, seven days a week from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.
We may call a CPP Day when reductions in electricity use by customers are needed during periods of high electric demand or when electric system reliability is in jeopardy. The most common triggers are based on system load and temperature.
Other triggers can include electrical emergency alerts issued by the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) or an SDG&E system emergency that affects local grid operations.
No. Customers are not required to reduce electric load during a CPP Day. However, if your electric use is not covered through capacity reservation, all electric use during a CPP Day will be charged at a rate that is significantly higher than the normal Time-Of-Use rates. We can help you plan your demand reduction strategies ahead of time, so you can respond without major disruption to your operations when an event is called.
A CPP Day is called as the result of an electrical system emergency alert issued by the CAISO and can only be cancelled by the CAISO. For every two CPP Days cancelled by the CAISO, one CPP Day will be credited towards the maximum number of events that can be called during the year. CPP Days activated based on criteria other than electrical system emergency alerts issued by the CAISO cannot be cancelled.
The source for temperature forecasts is the Weather Channel.
SDG&E relies on forecasts so that we can give customers time to prepare for critical use periods. Because many businesses invest time and money into being able to respond to load reduction requests, we understand that it would complicate the situation to cancel a CPP Day and have the business community keep re-adjusting their operations.
SDG&E’s system load information is available on the OASIS page on the CAISO website where you can view hourly system load and forecasts for each utility’s system within the CAISO control area.
If you’d like additional information about the Critical Peak Pricing plan you can contact our Business Care Center at 1-800-336-7343 or customers with an Account Executive can reach out to them directly.