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ISO-New England, the
Holyoke, Ma.-based operator of the grid, says conservation — especially by
large commercial customers — could be all that prevents blackouts this
summer. That's why it's looking to get between 1,000 and 2,000 businesses to
reduce their use of electricity this summer.
So far, it has only signed up 180 companies. But the incentives being offered
are attractive: commercial energy users in southwestern Connecticut would get
166 percent of the wholesale price of any energy they save.
"It can be quite substantial," said Stephen Whitley, chief
operating officer of ISO-New England, who said that for some companies, the
incentives could shave "tens of thousand of dollars" off their
annual energy bills.
ISO expects power demand in Fairfield County to reach between 2,800 and 3,500
megawatts this summer and only 2,000 megawatts can be generated locally,
Whitley said.
The conservation measures are needed because demand for electricity in
southwestern Connecticut has increased dramatically over several years. But
the power lines used to carry electricity into the region aren't equipped to
handle the amount of power needed to slake the area's energy thirst.
"We're using the equivalent of a country road when what we need is a
super highway," Whitley told Fairfield County business leaders and
government officials in Stamford Wednesday.
Northeast Utilities — whose Connecticut Light & Power subsidiary serves
much of Fairfield County — has proposed an upgrade of transmission lines so
they could carry four-to-six times the amount of power they carry. But that
plan, which originally was slated to come online sometime late next year at
the earliest, has been met with significant opposition in several Fairfield
County communities.
ISO-New England's call for conservation Wednesday had an important new
supporter — Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal.
When Whitley warned of the threat of blackouts in February, Blumenthal said
at the time he wasn't convinced of the severity of the problem. But on
Wednesday, Blumenthal said the problem is real, but manageable.
"We have an obligation, an opportunity to deal with this," he said.
"We need to reach out to large businesses and urge them to act in their
own self-interest and that of the community. There is no reason the lights
should go out if we are responsible consumers."
But if high levels of demand threaten to damage the existing transmission
system, Whitley said ISO-New England won't hesitate to call for controlled
temporary blackouts across the region.
While the grid operator will try to give homes and businesses in the affected
areas advanced warning of the so-called "rolling blackouts" it is
possible they might have to be implemented at a moment's notice, Whitley
said.
Luther Turmelle can be reached at lturmelle@nhregister.com or at
789-5751.
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