Demand Response the other side of the curve [Guest Editorial]

FOR DECADES, ELECTRIC POWER planning and operations dealt with an inelastic demand curve; the classic demand-supply equation had a vertical line on the demand side. In the past decade this has begun to change as various mechanisms have developed to enable consumers, first large ones but increasingly smaller commercial and now residential, to respond to market mechanisms and reduce their consumption at peak hours, reduce spot peak prices, relieve congestion, and supply reserves during reliability events.