The New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) manages New York's electricity transmission grid - a 10,775-mile network of high-voltage lines that carry electricity throughout the state. The NYISO is responsible for keeping power flowing to 19.2 million New Yorkers. The state's geographic location also means that the NYISO serves as the pivot point for the transfer of electricity to and from the Northeastern U.S. and Canada.

Economic Programs

The NYISO's Day-Ahead Demand Response Program (DADRP) allows energy users to bid their load reductions into the Day-Ahead energy market as generators do. Offers determined to be economic are paid at the market clearing price. There is a 1MW threshold for participation, and standby generators are not allowed in this program. Customer loads that clear in the Day-Ahead market are firmly committed during the hours that cleared.

Reliability Programs

The Emergency Demand Response Program (EDRP) is designed to reduce power usage through the voluntary reduction of demand. Companies are paid for reducing energy consumption (with 2 hours notice) when asked to do so by the NYISO. Customers are paid an energy payment for every hour they reduce load during a called event, which can last up to 4 hours duration. Standby generators are limited to no more than 200 hours per year in this program.

Special Case Resources (SCR) is a program that pays customers a capacity payment for their reducible load whether an event is called or not. The customers must, as part of their agreement, curtail power usage when asked by the NYISO. The customer will have 2 hours notice to reduce their load by contracted levels, with a warning usually being issued the day before an anticipated emergency event. Customers are paid a capacity payment based on the ICAP market price for providing their load. Those that do not provide their contracted capacity during an emergency event will see their payments reduced. For more information, click here.

Program Summary