LIPA Projects Sufficient Electricity Supply for Summer 2006
6,170 Megawatts Available to Meet Demand
Extreme Heat Could Push Peak Demand as
High as 5,800 Megawatts Island-wide
Normal Summer Peak Demand Could Reach 5,300 MWs
Since 2001, Nearly 1,200 Megawatts of New Supply Added
to Help Meet Ever-Growing Demand
East Meadow, NY – June 20, 2006 – The Long Island Power Authority (LIPA)
announced today that under normal summer weather conditions, the Authority will
have a sufficient supply of electricity to meet a base summer peak demand of
about 5,300 megawatts (MW) for the Long Island Control Area (LICA).
During periods of extreme heat and humidity, when temperatures reach into the
high 90s and above for several days, the extreme peak electric demand on Long
Island could reach 5,800 MWs, more than 500 MWs over normal summer demand,
according to LIPA.
To meet this year’s summer demand for electricity, LIPA will have 6,170 MWs
of supply available from both on- and off-island resources. LIPA has added
nearly 1,200 MWs of supply capability since 2001, which is the most for any
region in the State.
“We’re entering this year’s summer season in better shape with our available
supply than at any other time in Long Island’s history,” said LIPA Chairman
Richard M. Kessel. “We’ve gone from a region teetering on the brink of blackouts
during heat waves due to potential supply shortages to a region with enough
resources to meet an extreme demand with a reasonable margin to spare.
“It’s been a huge undertaking to get all of the new resources on line over
the years,” said Mr. Kessel. “And while it’s been one of LIPA’s most significant
accomplishments to date, in looking ahead we need to add more resources to keep
up with Long Island’s ever-growing demand for electricity, and to provide a
wider margin should a major power plant or cable connection to off-island
resources fail to operate when needed most.
“This is no time to rest on our laurels,” said Mr. Kessel. “We need to press
ahead with the Caithness Long Island Energy Center, which will provide 350
megawatts of power to an area that is one of the fastest growing locations on
the Island; we need to get the Neptune cable completed, which will add an
additional 660 megawatts of supply by next summer; and we also need to advance
the proposed Offshore Wind Project, which will add another 140 megawatts of
wind-generated electricity to help diversify our resources.”
“KeySpan’s generating facilities met the challenge last year when LIPA hit an
all time peak summer demand record,” said Robert Catell, KeySpan Chairman and
CEO. “Throughout the year KeySpan’s highly trained workforce have conducted
inspections and performed maintenance on all of our facilities so that the
KeySpan generation is available on the hottest summer days.”
$2.2 Billion In System Improvements
Mr. Kessel noted that by the end of 2006 LIPA will have invested over $2.2
billion in Transmission and Distribution System capital improvements since 1998.
System improvements include projects such as: new substations and substation
upgrades; new transmission lines and transmission line upgrades;
interconnections with new power supplies such as the Cross-Sound Cable and new
on-island power supplies; and numerous distribution system upgrades to enhance
the reliability of delivering electricity to LIPA’s customers.
21% Increase In Average Residential Electric Use
The average annual household electricity use on Long Island has increased by
over 21% since 1998 to 9,903 kilowatt hours in 2005. The year-to-year increase
of 467 kWh between 2004 and 2005 is the largest single-year increase in LIPA’s
history.
“We need to stay ahead of the growing demand and maintain an adequate margin
between the resources available and extreme peak demand. I shudder to think of
the adverse public safety and economic consequences of not having enough
electricity to meet Long Island’s demand.”
Previous Summer Peak Record Set August 5, 2005
LIPA’s all time peak summer demand record of 5,267 MWs was set last year on
August 5th. In fact, LIPA set a new record last summer with a total of 13 days
when demand exceeded 5,000 MWs. Previously, LIPA had exceeded the 5,000 MW mark
only twice.
According to Mr. Kessel, LIPA’s average summer peak demand island-wide has
increased by about 1,000 MWs since LIPA became Long Island’s non-profit electric
utility in 1998. During the first summer that LIPA owned the system it set a
peak demand record of 4,208 MWs on July 22. LIPA now hits 4,700, 4,800, 4,900
megawatts as a matter of routine, and many summer days reach 5,000 MWs or more.
LIPA’s resource projection for summer 2006 considers that all on-island
generation is operating without limitations, and that all of the tie-lines that
carry electric supplies from off-island resources are operating without
restrictions.
Air conditioning use is the biggest driver of electricity consumption during
periods of high heat and humidity, with as much as 40 percent of the electricity
used during heat waves attributed to both commercial and residential air
conditioning use, according to LIPA.
LIPA Programs to Help Reduce Demand During Heat Waves
Despite the added margin this year, LIPA continues to urge customers to
conserve and use energy efficiently during peak use periods. For example, when
LIPA anticipates an extremely high demand day – a Critical Demand Day – three
significant demand side management programs can be activated to help reduce
electricity consumption.
Each year, LIPA recruits major businesses to participate in its Peak Load
Reduction Partnership. Businesses participating in this program agree to reduce
electricity use during peak demand hours, which usually occur between 2 PM and 6
PM.
The LIPAedge program, which has nearly 30,000 participants islandwide,
recruits residential customers and small businesses with central air
conditioning (CAC) systems. Programmable thermostats have been installed on the
CAC units that allow LIPA to remotely control the temperature setting and AC
compressor. By elevating the temperature of the unit, or by turning off the
compressor unit for 30 minutes every hour during the peak demand period,
island-wide electric demand can be reduced.
LIPA also has a volunteer program called “Watts Going Down,” which recruits
both residential and commercial customers who agree to reduce consumption on
high demand days by following basic energy conservation measures. Over
20,000 volunteers have been recruited for the program.
Combined, these programs can save about 111 MWs of electricity when activated
on a Critical Demand Day and can help reduce peak demand.
Public appeals for conservation can also cause people to reduce energy use.
For example, earlier in June, LIPA conducted its second annual voluntary
emergency response drill that encouraged public participation by reducing
non-essential electric use. It is estimated that business and residential
customers reduced electricity use by about 70 MWs between the hours of noon and
3PM, which is enough to power about 70,000 averaged sized homes on Long Island.
While LIPA has a sufficient supply of electricity to meet this year’s summer
demand, everyone is still urged to use electricity wisely and conserve as much
as possible during heat waves.
To help stretch Long Island’s electricity supply, LIPA suggests the
following:
- Reduce non-essential electrical consumption, such as decorative outdoor
lights;
- Put air conditioners on timers; don’t leave them on when not at home;
- Set AC units at 78 degrees;
- Clean and replace AC filters regularly for maximum efficiency;
- Use fans to circulate cool air, which will help cut AC use;
- Set refrigerator/freezer units at the most efficient temperatures;
- Install attic exhaust fans to reduce cooling needs; and
- Purchase appliances, lighting fixtures and light bulbs with the highest
energy efficiency.
LIPA has a wide range of energy conservation and efficiency programs and
helpful tips that can help consumers reduce electric use and lower monthly
bills. To find out more about these programs, customers can log on to
www.lipower.org, or call LIPA’s EnergyInfoline, at
1-800-692-2626. |
