WORKING FOR A BETTER
TOMORROW
Turn on the television,
radio, or open the
newspaper, and the hot topic everybody seems to be talking about is the
greenhouse
effect. Coming in a close second is our nations dependency on
foreign
oil. To combat
the
greenhouse effect and to reduce our dependency on foreign oil is
something
leaders and innovators are working on.
Did you know that electric cooperatives in
Pennsylvania are recognized leaders in developing environmentally
friendly power sources and promotingenergy efficiency.
Cooperatives have long held that renewable energy generation and wise
electricity use not only
produce a cleaner environment for everyone, but better secure our
nations energy future.
In significant ways over the years, cooperatives
have put their environmental beliefs into practice. Since 1966,
cooperatives
have purchased hydropower from the Niagara and St. Lawrence power
projects
located in upstate New York. This generation accounts for approximately
6 percent of cooperative energy needs annually.
Holding that the cheapest kilowatt-hour, and
cleanest in terms of environmental impact, is the one never generated,
Pennsylvania electric cooperatives launched the Coordinated Load
Management System (CLMS) in December 1986. CLMS works by controlling
electric water heaters and
other special equipment (in the homes of nearly 47,000 volunteer
cooperative
consumers) during times of peak electricity consumption.
As a result,
CLMS
improves system efficiency, cuts costly demand charges cooperatives must pay for
purchased power, and reduces the need for new
generating capacity. The load control network currently boasts
demand-side reduction capabilities of 50 megawatts — roughly 8 percent
of the cooperatives’ peak load.
In June 1988, cooperatives placed the Raystown
Hydroelectric Project into commercial operation. Located at the base of
Raystown Dam
in Huntingdon County, the 21-megawatt facility supplies close to 4
percent
of the energy delivered by electric cooperatives, enough to power
about 8,500 average rural homes.
The state legislature recognized the renewable
energy commitment shown by electric cooperatives in adopting the
Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards Act of 2004 (Act 213).
Pennsylvania electric cooperatives comply with the law by offering
voluntary energy efficiency and demand-side load management programs.
Co-op's will continue to be committed to
provide the most reliable power at the lowest rate possible to its
members.
Here are some links you may like to check out!
16 Ways to Green Your Home
Kids! You too Can be an ENERGY STAR!
Landscaping
for Energy Efficiency
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