Virtual Peaker and Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority Forge Strategic Partnership for Energy-Saving Demand Response Program

This new initiative harnesses Virtual Peaker’s cutting-edge distributed energy platform, empowering OMPA’s 42 municipally owned utilities to offer residential electric customers new energy-saving opportunities.

January 18, 2024; Louisville, KY – Virtual Peaker, a cloud-based SaaS company empowering modern utilities with the friendliest distributed energy platform on the planet, announced a strategic partnership with the Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority (OMPA) to launch Turn Down the Watts, a new bring-your-own-device (BYOD) thermostat program to help reduce energy consumption during periods of high demand.

OMPA is a collaborative organization that serves as a wholesale power provider, supporting 42 municipally owned electric utilities in Oklahoma. Its members serve roughly 104,000 residential electric meters. OMPA’s structure and mission are centered around community ownership, joint action, and ensuring the well-being of its member municipalities and their residents.

Through this partnership with Virtual Peaker, OMPA’s 42 municipally owned utilities will be able to offer their residential electric customers the opportunity to enroll and participate in the program and earn incentives designed to support energy-saving practices and reduce overall utility system costs during peak grid demand periods.

Virtual Peaker’s distributed energy resource management system (DERMS) suite, Shift, and its engagement suite, Relay, are central to the program. Shift offers utilities innovative technology with a patented cloud-based real-time control system that automatically adds intelligence to “smart” devices to shave peak load, reduce costs, and execute controlled or behavioral demand response programs. Relay is an automated customer engagement suite that unifies and personalizes the energy customer experience with a connected approach to managing distributed energy resources (DERs).

“We are thrilled to collaborate with the Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority on this innovative program. By providing municipally owned utilities and residential electric customers with the opportunity to save energy through qualifying smart thermostats, we empower them to positively impact both their energy bills and the environment,” said Colin Lamb, Vice President of Delivery, Virtual Peaker.

The partnership offers a user-friendly and effective energy management solution, providing incentives and seamless integration with the smart thermostat brands Ecobee, Honeywell, Amazon, and Google Nest.

“We are excited to embark on this innovative partnership with Virtual Peaker to introduce the Turn Down the Watts BYOD program. This collaboration aligns with our commitment to advancing energy efficiency and sustainability across the 42 municipally owned electric systems we serve,” said Steve Mathena, Energy Services and Innovations Supervisor, Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority. “By leveraging Virtual Peaker’s advanced technology platform, this program empowers residential electric customers to participate in energy-saving practices and reinforces our dedication to providing cutting-edge solutions for a cleaner and more resilient energy future. We look forward to this initiative’s positive impact on reducing peak loads, overall utility system costs, and contributing to a more sustainable environment.”

Learn more about Virtual Peaker distributed energy platform solutions for BYOD programs here.

About Virtual Peaker
Virtual Peaker is a cloud-based distributed energy company that empowers modern utilities to build the grid of the future and meet global decarbonization goals. The SaaS company’s platform suites unify all aspects of DER management, from DERMS to customer engagement and load forecasting. Virtual Peaker is a remote-first company currently employing more than 50 professionals across various locations in the United States. For more information, visit www.virtual-peaker.com and follow the company on LinkedIn and Twitter/X (@VirtualPeaker).

About Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority
The Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority (OMPA) is a not-for-profit organization established under Title 11, the Municipal Code of the Oklahoma statutes. OMPA was created to provide an adequate, reliable, and affordable supply of electrical power and energy to Oklahoma’s municipally owned electric systems. OMPA is a consumer-owned public power entity guided by its vision and mission statements.

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Media Contacts: 

Amber Mullaney | amullaney@virtual-peaker.com | 502-689-0249
Kathleen Van Gorden | kathleen@doermaker.com | 401-480-1840
Steve Mathena | smathena@ompa.com