Voltus Breaks Ground on 125 MW Virtual Power Plant in New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS, November 27, 2018 (Newswire.com) - Voltus Inc., the leading provider of demand response to the commercial and industrial market, announced today that the first MWs of its 125 MW New Orleans virtual power plant (VPP) are ready to serve the City of New Orleans.

The VPP consists of commercial and industrial customers in the City of New Orleans who have committed to reduce non-critical electricity demand from the grid when demand is at its highest. Manufacturers, retailers, hospitals, data centers, hotels, colleges and universities, and public services are among early participants in this unique program that pays customers to ensure grid resilience while keeping energy costs low for all ratepayers.

New Orleans, like many historic cities in the U.S., has both aging electric grid infrastructure and the increasing electricity demand of a modern city. Building a traditional power plant in or near New Orleans is not only expensive but entirely unnecessary considering the proven benefits of demand response that are unlocked with a virtual power plant.

Jon Wellinghoff, Former Chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

“The City of New Orleans needs a 125 MW peaking power plant, so we’re building one immediately, with plans to have the full capability of the plant online in 2019,” said Gregg Dixon, CEO of Voltus. “Although we expected strong customer interest given New Orleans’ tremendous potential for demand response, we’ve been overwhelmed by the response we’ve received from customers, who are proud to be part of a solution that benefits everyone.”

“New Orleans, like many historic cities in the U.S., has both aging electric grid infrastructure and the increasing electricity demand of a modern city. Building a traditional power plant in or near New Orleans is not only expensive but entirely unnecessary considering the proven benefits of demand response that are unlocked with a virtual power plant,” said Jon Wellinghoff, former chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and leading proponent of smart grid solutions for today’s electric grid challenges.

“Everyone involved in this project has exhibited the traits particular to the spirit of New Orleans. We love the ‘can-do’, let’s get it done, pro-business attitude,” said Matt Plante, president of Voltus. “We’re proud to do our part to help commercial and industrial customers succeed while improving the reliability of the electric grid. And we hope local utilities make use of the VPP to relieve congestion and address near-term supply needs at the least cost to ratepayers.”

To sign up to the VPP or to learn more about the project, email [email protected].

About Voltus Inc.

Voltus represents the "potential of us" to better manage energy through simple, cost-free energy management products. Our commercial and industrial customers generate cash by allowing us to be their energy expert while we deliver innovative demand-response, energy-purchasing and energy-efficiency programs to them. It's this simple: a customer signs up with Voltus and every quarter, we deliver dollars. Voltus makes money when our customers make money by sharing the cash generated from working together. What's more, there are significant community benefits that accompany working with Voltus - a cleaner, more reliable energy future and dollars invested back into businesses and jobs instead of being wasted on a larger energy bill.

Voltus Media Relations:
Jenna Masuda
619-993-6529
[email protected]

Source: Voltus Inc.