Portable Battery Program Fulfillment
Purpose-built sourcing, VMI and fulfillment solution delivers rechargeable backup power source to utility customers dependent upon at home medical equipment
As part of its Customer Resiliency Solutions initiative, the utility offers a Portable Battery Program to ensure medically vulnerable and access-challenged residential customers have a backup power source readily available during planned Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) events.
Portable Battery Power Program Results Achieved
To supply and execute this critical community-focused program efficiently, the utility turned to ALOM due to its established battery technology and product domain expertise.
With decades of regulated industry expertise supporting can’t fail utility programs, and with an established fire-marshal designed and rated lithium-ion battery storage infrastructure in place, ALOM provides a full-service fulfillment solution — from sourcing and procurement to storage, VMI, and fulfillment to residential utility customers.
Wind, heat, or excessive demand-related PSPS events mitigate risk to life and property but are disruptive and can seriously impact the health of people who depend on electricity to power critical home medical devices and/or equipment.
To mitigate PSPS impact on individuals who depend on electricity to power medical equipment, the utility needed a reliable partner to trust with portable battery backup power unit procurement, safe storage, and accurate fulfillment of orders to high-risk customers.
ALOM checked all the boxes for the utility and has since provided stellar service levels across all required areas in support of the rechargeable portable battery power program since 2022.
Most notably, ALOM buyers keep abreast of battery technology advancements, product enhancements, and cost comparisons across a full range of leading manufacturer product configurations.
Very important to ensuring maximum power output and battery life upon delivery to the end user, as well as minimizing fire risk while in transport and stored in ALOM’s warehouse, ALOM works closely with OEMs to set charge levels before products are shipped to an ALOM facility.
Too high of a charge level and the batteries could be more prone to overheating while in transport or in storage. Too little charge and the duration a battery can reach and hold a full charge during its service life is compromised.
Incoming rechargeable Li-ion product inventory is received, inspected, and tested under strictly monitored quality and hazmat safety protocols.
Since the program was launched, ALOM has added additional products to support the customer program including portable solar panels and accessories to charge the battery power units during an extended outage.
Visibility and BI facilitate control and regulatory compliance
ALOM’s technological innovation extends to its business intelligence (BI) tools, which provide the utility customer with maximum visibility, traceability, and back-end stakeholder reporting for inventory, order fulfillment, and shipment metrics.
With this data, the company can monitor its supply chain operations and access key performance metrics in real-time and rapidly adjust to unpredictable, unexpected conditions.
Looking ahead
As PSPS mitigation continues to evolve alongside climate threats, the utility is evaluating future program expansions and cross-agency collaborations. ALOM remains a core execution partner, offering scalable solutions tailored for regulatory resilience and public safety.
“In a program where failure isn’t an option, ALOM helped us engage top-tier OEMs and deliver best-in-class battery safety and performance to our most vulnerable customers.”
Emergency Resiliency Program Manager
