Participants in Abu Dhabi’s demand-response project cut electricity load by an average of 251 megawatts in 2025, more than double the 2024 level, as the emirate seeks to manage peak demand.
The Abu Dhabi Department of Energy announced the results Nov. 9, 2026. The average reduction rose from 106 MW in 2024, while the largest cut recorded in the 2025 project was 401 MW.
Demand response enables customers to change their electricity use when demand is high. The department says that flexibility can reduce the need to run additional power generation capacity, which it describes as costly and emissions-intensive. Participating entities received credits on electricity bills issued by TAQA Distribution.
More than 30 entities took part across the pilot and final rollout phases, including businesses in metals, refining, cement, logistics and district cooling. The department put their flexible capacity at more than 408 MW. That figure represents electricity use available for adjustment, rather than the average reduction achieved.
The department reported about 27 gigawatt-hours less electricity use during peak periods. It estimated that the project avoided 4,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions.
The project sits within the Load Management Programme, one part of Abu Dhabi’s Energy and Water Efficiency Strategy 2030. The strategy began in 2019, and the department introduced a demand-response policy and regulatory framework in 2022.
Abu Dhabi has also established a licensing framework for energy aggregators, companies that coordinate changes in electricity use across customers. The department says the framework is designed to protect consumers while allowing those firms to operate in the emirate.
The project included direct load control trials at industrial sites, educational institutions and district cooling companies. The tests measured participants’ response speed and checked whether the technology could change electricity use when required.
The department said it is exploring artificial intelligence and virtual power plants with Emirates Water and Electricity Company to make electricity demand more flexible.
