Progress Energy Carolinas Files Programs to Reduce and Shift Peak Demand
April 29 2008 - 3:51PM
PR Newswire (US)
Residential load control and distribution system plans will help
delay need for power plants RALEIGH, N.C., April 29
/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- As part of Progress Energy Carolinas'
commitment to increasing energy efficiency and securing a balanced
energy future for the growing region, the company today filed two
programs with the N.C. Utilities Commission: one for residential
load control and another to allow the electric distribution grid in
the Carolinas to be used to reduce peak demand. (Logo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020923/CHM008LOGO-c ) The
programs are a key part of the company's strategy to double its
energy efficiency portfolio to 2,000 megawatts (MW) and delay the
need to build power plants. Progress Energy Carolinas will file
additional energy-efficiency and demand-side management programs in
early May, and expects to file for the same programs in South
Carolina in the coming months. The company expects the regulatory
commissions to act on the proposals later this year. Thereafter,
Progress Energy will provide additional information on how
customers can participate. Consistent with the provisions of the
state's energy bill enacted last year, Progress Energy Carolinas
will seek commission approval of appropriate incentives. The
company has proposed a 50/50 shared-savings model, under which the
costs and benefits of these programs will be evaluated together,
and the benefits of reducing peak electricity demand will be shared
between customers and the utility. EnergyWise(TM) The new
residential program, called EnergyWise(TM), will enable Progress
Energy Carolinas to remotely adjust the air-conditioning units of
voluntary customer participants during periods of peak electricity
demand, particularly on the hottest summer afternoons, when demand
is at its highest of the year. Customers participating in
EnergyWise(TM) will receive an annual $25 bill credit as an
incentive. In the company's Western N.C. region, Progress Energy
Carolinas also will offer programs that adjust strip heating and
electric water heaters. Use of these appliances is a significant
contributor to peak demand in the mountainous region, where
electricity demand is highest in winter. The company's goal for
EnergyWise(TM) is to have the capability to reduce peak electricity
demand by 200 MW by 2017, which will help delay the need to build
peaking power plants. Distribution system demand-response program
The second program includes an investment in the 60,000-mile
distribution system that serves 1.4 million customers in the
Carolinas. The distribution system demand-response program will
provide additional capability for reducing and shifting peak
electricity demand, which will defer or eliminate the need to
purchase or build a more expensive fossil-fueled peaking power
plant. The program also will reduce the level of natural
electricity loss over long distribution feeder lines, eliminating
the need for power generation to make up for the losses. Customers
also will benefit through better voltage quality to their homes and
businesses, and, in future phases beyond 2012, through enhanced
automation capabilities that will reduce the number and duration of
power outages. The program represents an expected investment of
about $260 million over five years. At completion of the initial
phase in 2012, it is expected to deliver nearly 250 MW of
dependable peak-demand savings -- the equivalent of two large
peaking-power units. The distribution system investment is a key
component of a larger "Smart Grid" strategy. The 2008-2012
investment will provide a foundation for additional initiatives,
including enhanced system reliability (through faster outage
isolation and response) and new capabilities for incorporating
renewable energy resources and other distributed generation into
the region's energy mix. "We all have an important role in driving
more efficient use of energy and other resources," said Lloyd
Yates, CEO and president of Progress Energy Carolinas. "In addition
to the programs we're designing and offering to our customers,
we're focused on ensuring that the power-distribution system that
we operate on our customers' behalf is as efficient as it can be.
In this case, it is less expensive to expand our capability to
reduce customer demand through the distribution system initiative
than to build a new peaking power plant. So, investing in the
initiative makes sense for our customers and our company." Save The
Watts Meanwhile, the company is continuing its Save The Watts
campaign, an educational initiative that features a highly
interactive Web site (http://www.savethewatts.com/ ) with
energy-efficiency program details and useful tips for customers to
save energy. The Web site provides a calculator for customers to
measure their energy savings as well as their carbon footprint, a
calculation of the individual's energy usage to reflect his or her
contribution to greenhouse gas emissions. Progress Energy,
headquartered in Raleigh, N.C., is a Fortune 250 energy company
with more than 21,000 megawatts of generation capacity and $9
billion in annual revenues. The company, which will celebrate a
century of service in 2008, includes two major utilities that serve
3.1 million customers in the Carolinas and Florida. Progress Energy
is the 2006 recipient of the Edison Electric Institute's Edison
Award, the industry's highest honor, in recognition of its
operational excellence. The company also is the first utility to
receive the prestigious J.D. Power and Associates Founder's Award
for customer service. Progress Energy serves two growing areas of
the country, and the company is pursuing a balanced approach to
meeting the future energy needs of the region. That balance
includes increased energy efficiency programs, investments in
renewable energy technologies and a state-of-the-art electricity
system. For more information about Progress Energy, visit the
company's Web site at http://www.progress-energy.com/ .
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020923/CHM008LOGO-c
http://photoarchive.ap.org/ DATASOURCE: Progress Energy Carolinas
CONTACT: Progress Energy media information line, +1-877-641-NEWS
(6397) Web site: http://www.progress-energy.com/
http://www.savethewatts.com/
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