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.