2026 Event Schedule

In the summer of 2025, New York City faced prolonged, record-setting heatwaves that placed extraordinary stress on the electric grid. Con Edison responded by activating a demand response portfolio approaching a gigawatt in capacity—making it one of the largest in any urban U.S. market—through a robust Demand Response Management System (DRMS). This capability reflects years of investment, program development, and technology integration.

This abstract highlights key operational insights and strategic takeaways from deploying demand response at scale during these high-demand events. The DRMS served as a real-time operational asset, enabling the control room to rapidly dispatch load reductions, monitor performance, and adapt to fast-changing grid conditions. Our complex demand response marketplace setup enabled targeted event dispatch both at the system-wide and individual network levels. Additionally, a supportive regulatory landscape allowed participation from diverse consumer types, ranging from residential customers to battery storage providers.

These experiences have directly informed our roadmap toward tighter integration with a Distributed Energy Resource Management System (DERMS). This integration will enable co-optimization of dispatchable DERs, automate grid-edge response, and provide tighter feedback loops with distribution system operations—bringing decentralized flexibility into the heart of grid control.

Looking forward, we envision a system where demand-side flexibility is not just an emergency tool, but a foundational element of modern grid resilience and reliability. As climate pressures and load volatility increase, the ability to scale and operationalize flexible resources will be essential for utilities everywhere.