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Trying to control costs in hot, humid weather
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By JON M. HUNTER, Publisher
| 07/18/2012 |
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As high temperatures hit our area in the last week or so, electricity providers are working to keep up with demand.
Of course, high electricity demand this time of year is primarily due to air conditioning. Muggy air makes the air conditioning units work even harder, and windless days don't provide a comforting breeze.
The result is new power demand peaks, which are expensive for the power providers, and therefore to the consumers of electricity.
Madison's Electric Department noted a new peak for July on Monday. East River Electric Power Cooperative set an all-time summer peak of slightly more than 500 megawatts on July 3, which was about 35 Mw higher than its previous summer peak. Basin Electric, which produces electricity for East River and its member cooperatives, appears to have hit a peak this week as well.
In response, the city of Madison declared a summer energy alert for the week. The alert asks that residents and businesses try to shift as much electricity usage away from the hottest part of the day to early morning or late evening.
The truth is that citizens can really make a difference by running appliances like dishwashers or clothes washers at night. One household making a change doesn't have much of an effect, but hundreds or thousands of households can really cut demand at the peak. East River and rural cooperatives are also encouraging their customers to avoid using electricity during the hottest parts of the day.
While some parts of the country have gone to "time of day" electricity rates, where people are financially penalized by using electricity in the middle of the day, we think we can achieve similar savings by simply working together and using our common sense. If we do, we'll be able to avoid the higher costs associated with peak demand.
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©Madison Daily Leader 2013
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