Demand response programs allow utilities to temporarily reduce customer load during peak periods, avoiding expensive peaking generation. Median DR enrollment nearly doubled from 8,630 customers in 2013 to 16,748 in 2024, reflecting sustained utility investment in load flexibility as an alternative to building new capacity.
Northern States Power Minnesota leads with 971,100 enrolled customers and 882 MW of actual peak savings — the most effective large-scale DR program in the dataset at just $33 per customer. In contrast, Florida Power & Light enrolled 649,428 customers but recorded zero actual peak savings — suggesting programs structured for enrollment metrics rather than operational dispatch. Duke Energy Florida and Duke Energy Carolinas show the same pattern.
The dispatch rate — actual savings as a percentage of potential — is the critical performance metric. A utility with 500 MW of potential DR that never dispatches it provides no grid value. Regulators reviewing DR program cost recovery should examine both enrollment depth and actual dispatch history before approving program costs in rates.
| Utility | Customers Enrolled | Potential Peak Savings (MW) | Actual Peak Savings (MW) | Dispatch Rate |
|---|
| Year | Enrolled Customers | Actual Peak (MW) |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | — | — |
| 2023 | — | — |