LIPA Has Adequate Resources to Meet Demand

Customers Should Use Electricity Efficiently to Keep Bills Down as the Heat Goes Up

Garden City, NY – As Long Island enters a two-day period of high temperatures and humidity, the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) reminds its customers to use electricity efficiently as a way to conserve energy and keep bills down.

LIPA CEO and President Richard M. Kessel said that LIPA has 6,460 Megawatts (MW) of electricity available this week to meet the projected peak demand forecast for today and tomorrow of about 5,000 MW.

With a supply margin of approximately 1,400 MW more than anticipated peak demand for the next two days, LIPA will have more than an adequate power supply to meet demand. Mr. Kessel noted that LIPA has added some 1,860 MW of new supply in the past few years, including the newly commissioned Neptune cable that can carry 660MWs of power. He noted that while supplies are sufficient, customers should use electricity efficiently to help keep bills down as the temperatures go up.

“We’re in very good shape with our supply, and the transmission and distribution system is in excellent condition too,” said Mr. Kessel. “But, it’s always a good to use electricity efficiently and not squander our resources.

“Should we have any heat-related outages on circuits that experience an increase in demand from previous years, we have a well-trained and highly experienced work force that will be ready to get customers back in service as quickly as possible,” Mr. Kessel said. “Doing little things to conserve can add up to significant savings, especially during the peak demand hours that run from 2PM to 8PM on most summer days.”

Overall, LIPA will have as much a 6,830 MWs of supply from all on- and off-island resources to meet demand this summer. During extended periods of extreme heat and high humidity, LIPA anticipates that peak summer demand could reach 5,963 MWs, which would exceed last year’s peak summer record of 5,792 MWs that was set on August 3. Last year’s peak demand exceeded the previous year’s demand by 525 MWs, a 10 percent jump, which was the largest year-to-year increase in Long Island’s history.

To use energy efficiently during periods of high heat and humidity, LIPA customers should:

Minimize the use of non-essential electric consumption;
Put air conditioners on timers, don't let them run when not at home;
Set air conditioners at 78 degrees;
Use fans to circulate cool air, which helps cut air conditioner use;
Set refrigerators and freezers at most efficient temperatures; and
Run major appliances such as clothes and dishwashers in the morning or late evening to avoid the peak demand hours of 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.

“Using electricity wisely saves resources, saves money and saves the environment,” said Mr. Kessel. “Everyone can ‘go green’ today by being more energy efficient.”

High temperatures and high electric demand can sometimes cause scattered heat-related outages. LIPA advises that conserving electricity will help reduce the potential for outages. Customers who experience an outage should call 1-800- 490-0075.

Additional energy efficiency tips can be obtained from LIPA's Web site, www.lipower.org, or by calling its Energy Infoline at 1-800-692-2626.

LIPA, a non-profit municipal electric provider, owns the retail electric Transmission and Distribution System on Long Island and provides electric service to more than 1.1 million customers in Nassau and Suffolk counties and the Rockaway Peninsula in Queens. LIPA is the 2nd largest municipal electric utility in the nation in terms of electric revenues, 3rd largest in terms of customers served and the 7th largest in terms of electricity delivered. In 2008, LIPA outperformed all other overhead electric utilities in New York State for frequency of service interruptions, and ranked second for duration of service interruptions. LIPA does not provide natural gas service or own any on-island generating assets. More information about LIPA can be found online at: http://www.lipower.org.

Media Contact Information
Vanessa Baird-Streeter
Phone - (516) 719-9230
Cell - (516) 640-0168
Media Pager - (516) 229-7248
media.relations@lipower.org

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