SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR AUTOMATED TRADING OF ELECTRICAL CONSUMPTION

1 . A method for automated trading of electrical consumption comprising the steps of:

receiving, over a network, a plurality of demand bids for energy on a power grid from a plurality of consumers, wherein each demand bid comprises an identification of a consumer, a quantity of energy, an economic value of the bid, and one or more demand bid criteria;

receiving, over the network, data relating to the price of energy on the power grid;

determining, using at least one computing device, if not servicing at least one of the plurality of demand bids will decrease the locational marginal price of energy on the power grid;

transmitting, over the network, an offer for compensation to the load associated with the at least one of the plurality demand bids, wherein the consumer receives the compensation if the consumer does not consume the energy related to the at least one of the demand bids.

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein the demand bid criteria comprise at least one criteria selected from the set of criteria consisting of: a time, a time range, differentiation from a given setpoint.

3 . The method of claim 1 comprising the additional steps of:

aggregating, using at least one computing device, the demand bids into a demand stack; and

aggregating, using the at least one computing device, the data relating to the price of energy on the power grid into a supply stack, wherein the determining step uses the demand stack and the supply stack to determine if not servicing at least one of the demand bids will decrease the locational marginal price of energy on the power grid.

4 . The system of claim 1 wherein at least some of the demand bids additionally comprise an identification of a circuit under the control of the consumer from which the bid originated.

5 . A method for automated trading of electrical consumption comprising the steps of:

receiving, over a network, a plurality of demand bids for energy on a power grid from a plurality of consumers, wherein each demand bid comprises an identification of a consumer, a quantity of energy, an economic value of the bid, and one or more demand bid criteria;

receiving, over the network, data relating to the price of energy on the power grid;

determining, using at least one computing device, if not servicing at least one of the plurality of demand bids will decrease the locational marginal price of energy on the power grid;

determining, using the at least one computing device, if the consumer associated with the at least one of the demand bids has an agreement with an LSE to defer consumption of energy related to a demand bid for a predetermined compensation if the consumer is commanded to defer consumption of energy related to a demand bid;

commanding, over the network, a consumer to defer consumption of energy related to a demand bid.

6 . A system for automated trading of electrical consumption comprising:

a plurality of consumer systems operatively connected to a network, wherein each of the consumer systems is configured to accept a plurality of demand bids for energy on a power grid from a consumer, wherein each demand bid comprises an identification of a consumer, a quantity of energy, an economic value of the bid, and one or more demand bid criteria, and wherein each of the consumer systems are further configured to transmit the plurality of demand bids over the network;

at least one control server operatively connected to the network, wherein the at least one control server is configured to receive the plurality of demand bids, and wherein the control server is further configured to receive, over the network, data relating to the price of energy on the power grid, and wherein the at least one control server is further configured to determine if not servicing at least one of the plurality of demand bids will decrease the locational marginal price of energy on the power grid, and wherein the control server is further configured to transmit over the network, an offer for compensation to the consumer from which the at least one of the demand bids originated, wherein the consumer receives the compensation if the consumer does not consume the energy related to the at least one of the demand bids.

7 . The system of claim 6 wherein the demand bid criteria comprise at least one criteria selected from the list: a time, a time range, differentiation from a given setpoint.

8 . The system of claim 6 wherein the at least one control server is configured to aggregate the plurality of demand bids into a demand stack and to aggregate the data relating to the price of energy on the power grid into a supply stack, wherein the at least one control server is further configured to use the demand stack and the supply stack to determine if not servicing at least one of the demand bids will decrease the locational marginal price of energy on the power grid.

9 . The system of claim 8 wherein the demand stack and supply stack are saved on a computer readable medium and wherein the at least one control server is further configured to display a representation of a demand stack and supply stack on a user interface tangibly displayed on a display device operatively connected to the at least one control server.

10 . The system of claim 6 wherein at least some of the demand bids additionally comprise an identification of a circuit under the control of the consumer from which the bid originated.

11 . The system of claim 6 wherein the at least one control server is further configured to determine if the consumer associated with the at least one of the demand bids has an agreement with an LSE to defer consumption of energy related to a demand bid for a predetermined compensation if the consumer is commanded to defer consumption of energy related to a demand bid and wherein the at least one control server is further configured to command the consumer from which the at least one of the demand bids originated to defer consumption of energy related to a demand bid.

12 . The system of claim 6 wherein at least some of the plurality of consumer systems are advanced demand management systems.

13 . The system of claim 6 wherein the at least one control server is operated by an LSE.

14 . The system of claim 6 wherein the at least one control server is operated by an third party who is not a consumer or an LSE.

15 . A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for a method for automated trading of electrical consumption comprising the steps of:

receiving, over a network, a plurality of demand bids for energy on a power grid from a plurality of consumers, wherein each demand bid comprises an identification of a consumer, a quantity of energy, an economic value of the bid, and one or more demand bid criteria;

receiving, over the network, data relating to the price of energy on the power grid;

determining, using at least one computing device, if not servicing at least one of the plurality of demand bids will decrease the locational marginal price of energy on the power grid;

transmitting, over the network, an offer for compensation to the load associated with the at least one of the plurality demand bids, wherein the consumer receives the compensation if the consumer does not consume the energy related to the at least one of the demand bids.

16 . The computer-readable medium of claim 15 wherein the demand bid criteria comprise at least one criteria selected from the list: a time, a time range, differentiation from a given setpoint.

17 . The computer-readable medium of claim 15 comprising the additional steps of:

aggregating, using at least one computing device, the demand bids into a demand stack; and

aggregating, using at least one computing device, the data relating to he price of energy on the power grid into a supply stack, wherein the determining step uses the demand stack and the supply stack to determine if not servicing at least one of the demand bids will decrease the locational marginal price of energy on the power grid.

18 . The computer-readable medium of claim 15 wherein at least some of the demand bids additionally comprise an identification of a circuit under the control of the consumer from which the bid originated.

19 . A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for a method for automated trading of electrical consumption comprising the steps of:

receiving, over a network, a plurality of demand bids for energy on a power grid from a plurality of consumers, wherein each demand bid comprises an identification of a consumer, a quantity of energy, an economic value of the bid, and one or more demand bid criteria;

receiving, over the network, data relating to the price of energy on the power grid;

determining, using at least one computing device, if not servicing at least one of the plurality of demand bids will decrease the locational marginal price of energy on the power grid;

determining, using the at least one computing device, if the consumer associated with the at least one of the demand bids has an agreement with an LSE to defer consumption of energy related to a demand bid for a predetermined compensation if the consumer is commanded to defer consumption of energy related to a demand bid;

commanding, over the network, a consumer to defer consumption of energy related to a demand bid.