Program Rewards Conservation During Times of High Energy Demand
Rocklin — Pioneer Community Energy (Pioneer), a locally owned not-for-profit electricity provider headquartered in Rocklin, California, announced today the launch of its PowerShift Rewards program. This program encourages residential customers to manually reduce electricity consumption during periods of high demand – when energy is most expensive – by offering incentives in the form of Prepaid MasterCard® cards.
PowerShift Rewards was created through a partnership with Uplight, a clean energy technology company that helps consumers and energy providers conserve, manage, and monetize energy capacity. The program is designed to educate consumers about electricity usage patterns and the benefits of reducing energy consumption during peak periods. Financial incentives will be used to encourage program participation. For example, customers who enroll in the program automatically receive a $25 Prepaid MasterCard®.
When the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) calls for conservation as a way of safeguarding grid reliability, Pioneer will incentivize energy savings by compensating customers for conserving energy. Customers will receive tailored communications before, during, and after events. Additionally, customers will have a personalized “dashboard” to track changes to their energy usage over time. At the end of each summer season, customers will receive a Prepaid MasterCard® that corresponds with their energy savings at the rate of $2 per kilowatt hour (kWh).
The three-year program launches on August 20, 2024. Uplight’s turnkey capabilities enable Pioneer to begin enrollments and events in a shorter timeline with less upfront work, meaning interested customers will be able to participate right away.
“Our PowerShift Rewards program will be especially important during extreme weather events like late summer heat waves,” said Pioneer’s Board Chair and Auburn City Councilmember Alice Dowdin Calvillo. “In these instances, energy demand rapidly increases and sometimes outpaces supply. Our customers can be part of the solution by helping to balance demand by reducing energy usage at peak times while also seeing cost savings. In addition, customers to see the difference they can make and earn incentives for reducing their usage.”
“Pioneer’s decision to launch this program is an indicator of their commitment to delivering affordable and reliable energy, a mission Uplight shares,” said Uplight CEO Luis D’Acosta. “Our goal is to provide streamlined, simple, and enjoyable customer experiences that drive enrollments and increase the overall impact of the program.”
PowerShift Rewards is offered exclusively to Pioneer’s residential customers, with the potential to expand the program to commercial customers.
Since its beginning in 2018, Pioneer has saved customers more than $85 million. Additional information can be found at pioneercommunityenergy.org.
