Submitted by Tricia Modifica, Eversource
(July 14, 2026) — When extreme heat drove electricity demand to near-record levels prior to the Independence Day holiday, including the second-highest peak demand day seen in the past six years, Eversource and its customers helped significantly reduce energy use and supported reliability when demand was skyrocketing through Eversource’s Connected Solutions demand response program, with additional contributions from its new ConnectedSolutions+ pilot.
On July 2, 2026, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., customers enrolled in Eversource’s Connected Solutions helped reduce demand by an estimated 225 megawatts, alongside approximately two megawatts from Eversource’s Connected Solutions+ pilot, for a combined reduction of 227 megawatts– or an impact on the electric system equivalent to 45,000 homes during peak demand. These programs, which function like virtual power plants, support Eversource’s efforts to manage demand during high-use periods and maintain reliable service for customers across its service territory.
Eversource’s Connected Solutions is a demand response program that enables residential and business customers to reduce or shift energy use during peak periods in exchange for incentives, using technologies such as smart thermostats and battery storage. More than 83,500 residential customers (for thermostats and batteries) and more than 320 commercial and industrial (C&I ) customers have enrolled across Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Operational steps taken by Commercial & Industrial (C&I) customers to reduce usage were the largest contributor to Eversource’s Connected Solutions program on July 2nd, resulting in more than 100 megawatts of the 227 megawatts of demand reduction, followed closely by residential thermostats at 82 megawatts.
“Peak demand events are moments when simple actions across many homes and businesses can make a real difference for the electric system and our customers,” said Tilak Subrahmanian, Eversource Vice President of Energy Efficiency and Electric Mobility. “We’re grateful to the customers who participated in our demand response programs like Connected Solutions during this heat wave. When people refer to a virtual power plant, this is that kind of innovation at work. Participating customers’ flexibility helped lower demand at a critical time and supported reliable service across our communities. The early contributions from Eversource’s ConnectedSolutions+ also give us a clearer view of how more targeted customer flexibility can help address local system needs during high-use periods.”
Initial event results include:
- Total demand reduction: 227 MW during July 2, 2026 from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
- Total targeted devices: 127,617 devices enrolled by more than 83,500 residential customers (in addition to measures taken by more than 320 C&I customers, including curtailment, building-management controls and more)
- Peak load context: Projected peak load was 25,850 MW, and actual peak reached was 25,289.37 MW at 7:00 p.m. on July 2, 2026 – one of the highest peak demand days seen in the past six years, second only to June 24, 2025, which peaked at just over 26,000 MW.
Customers across all Eversource territories can learn more about enrolling in the company’s Connected Solutions program for smart thermostats and home batteries, and Energy Storage Solutions for home batteries in Connecticut, by visiting eversource.com/demand-responseconnectedsolutions.
