OhmConnect and Schneider Electric Announce Partnership To Replace Power Plants Affected by Aliso Canyon Storage Facility Closure

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- In June, the California Public Utility Commission approved $56.28M in spending for energy solutions to help alleviate grid strain in Southern California Edison (SCE) territory, plus an additional $8.7M to mitigate the effects of energy shortfalls caused by the closure of the Aliso Canyon natural gas storage facility in Southern California.

In response, OhmConnect and Schneider Electric have announced a partnership to build an intelligent network of Schneider Electric's Wiser Air smart, Wi-Fi connected thermostats in the region. The Wiser Air thermostats respond dynamically to changing grid conditions and OhmConnect pays Southern California residents to save energy once per week.

California's electricity grid and utilities will view the collective real-time energy savings of OhmConnect users as if it were energy generated from local power plants. OhmConnect receives payments for this 'virtual power' and distributes to its user base.

"OhmConnect and Schneider Electric's partnership is the first step in intersecting the smart home and energy markets. By connecting smart thermostats and plugs, our users directly offset the need to build new power plants and curb our reliance on the Aliso Canyon storage facility," said Matt Duesterberg, CEO of OhmConnect.

The crisis began in October of 2015, when a natural gas well in the Aliso Canyon storage facility ruptured, causing one of the worst environmental disasters in our nation's history. The Environmental Defense Fund estimates that the leaked methane resulted in the equivalent greenhouse gas emissions of 917,000,000 gallons of gasoline being burned.

While the leak was fixed in February of 2016, the storage facility remains closed and will not supply natural gas to power plants in Southern California this year. This electricity shortfall has put regions in Southern California at risk for the remainder of the year.

About OhmConnect
Since 2013, OhmConnect has worked to pay residents for saving energy. Anyone who uses any of the three major California energy suppliers: Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), Southern California Edison or San Diego Gas & Electric can sign up for free at https://www.ohmconnect.com Follow us on Twitter @OhmConnect, see our OhmConnect Blog, or check us out on Facebook and LinkedIn.

About Schneider Electric
Schneider Electric is the global specialist in energy management and automation. With revenues of ~€27 billion in FY2015, our 160,000+ employees serve customers in over 100 countries, helping them to manage their energy and process in ways that are safe, reliable, efficient and sustainable. From the simplest of switches to complex operational systems, our technology, software and services improve the way our customers manage and automate their operations. Our connected technologies reshape industries, transform cities and enrich lives. At Schneider Electric, we call this Life Is On.

SOURCE OhmConnect

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