RMP and Torus announce partnership to expand utility's demand response

South Salt Lake-based Torus Inc. has signed a memorandum of agreement (MOU) with Utah utility Rocky Mountain Power (RMP) creating a partnership that will explore the creation of 70 megawatts of demand response capacity using Torus’ Nova battery storage technology. Demand response refers to the increase of available power during times of peak demand.

The demand response opportunity would provide cost-effective grid reliability for the region’s growing energy needs and support Utah’s Operation Gigawatt initiative to double Utah’s power production over the next 10 years.

The MOU, announced during Utah Tech Week following remarks by Gov. Spencer Cox, represents one of the largest customer battery utility-scale demand response plans in the western United States.

“This energy storage partnership is a great example of Utah’s leadership in innovative energy solutions,” said Cox. “As we double our power production capacity over the next decade through Operation Gigawatt, we’re making sure Utah continues to be a net energy exporter. This collaboration between Rocky Mountain Power and Torus demonstrates how we’ll achieve these ambitious goals.”

“This partnership highlights our commitment to exploring new technologies and optimizing infrastructure as we work to meet the energy demands and challenges over the next decade,” said Dick Garlish, president of Rocky Mountain Power.

The cooperation between Torus and the utility is enabled through Rocky Mountain Power’s virtual power plan — specifically its Wattsmart Battery program. The partnership will deploy Torus’ Nova Spin and Nova Pulse technologies across multiple RMP sites. Torus said the installations allow for real-time response and deliver twice the lifespan of traditional batteries.

“Working with Rocky Mountain Power at this scale demonstrates the growing recognition of demand response as a crucial tool for modern utilities,” said Nate Walkingshaw, CEO of Torus. “As Utah attracts more data centers, manufacturing facilities and technology companies, reliable and affordable energy becomes even more critical. Our technology improves grid resilience and efficiency while supporting Utah’s vision for energy abundance that will power the next generation of economic growth.”

RMP’s Wattsmart Battery program “reduces energy costs and helps enable the energy grid of the future,” RMP said. The Torus partnership could provide enough additional flexible capacity to power approximately 20,000 homes during demand response events. Following completion of technical and commercial discussions, implementation could begin in early 2025, with deployment targeted by year-end, the partners said in a release.