Dive Brief:

• ComEd customers will get a $140 rebate if they sign up for the utility’s air conditioning cycling pilot program. The utility made a deal with Nest Labs, Inc, makers of the Nest Learning Thermostat. 
• The pilot uses the Nest’s ability to automatically adjust the temperature of a home  near peak electricity usage times. This helps minimize electricity demand while maintaining the customer’s preferred temperature. 
• Customers can sign up for the summer-long pilot until May 31.

Dive Insight:

To be eligible, customers already must have a Nest Learning Thermostat installed in their home. The pilot is limited to 3,000 of ComEd's 6.6 million customers. Managing demand by reducing AC usage at peak times of day with responsive technology should help maintain electricity availability across the grid on the hottest days of the year.