The Demand Response Emerging Technologies (DRET) Collaborative facilitates the deployment of innovative new demand response technologies, software and system applications that may enable cost-effective customer participation and performance in demand response programs and wholesale market resources. These activities help enable the innovative high-tech and consumer markets to adopt demand response methods and standards that advocate for continuous improvement in demand response technological innovation.

The DRET Collaborative benefits electricity ratepayers from the investor-owned (IOUs) and municipal utilities – Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), Southern California Edison (SCE), San Diego Gas & Electric Company (SDG&E), Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD), and is authorized by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) through 2027.

In past years, these California electric utilities have supported research that has led to the development of emerging technologies to help with the State’s challenges in meeting electric system reliability during peak times and reducing greenhouse gases (GHGs). See the video below for an breakdown of demand response and an example of an innovative solution that is now available to customers to automate their demand response: