AskPSC - Businesses: Energy Efficiency

Bridging the gap between electrical supply and demand.

Electricity supply will be especially tight during the next few summers in New York and throughout the Northeast. There is a shrinking cushion between electricity generation supply and a growing demand for electricity, particularly in the New York City.

There are programs in New York State to help large business, commercial, and industrial customers reduce peak demand for electricity, improve efficiency and reduce bills.

Get paid $$ to reduce your electricity use.

If your business is capable of reducing at least 100kW of aggregated or non-aggregated load within two-hours of New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) notice, you will be paid the greater of $500 per MW or an amount that reflects the market value of electricity at the time load reduction is requested by NYISO under its Emergency Demand Response Program (EDRP). There is no penalty if you are called upon and you cannot curtail.

Large commercial and industrial customers can also participate in the NYISO's Day-Ahead Demand Bidding Program. Under this program, eligible customers bid to curtail a portion of their electricity load when wholesale prices exceed a predetermined level. If your bid is accepted, you are paid for the load you curtail. There is a penalty if you do not curtail.

Interval meters are necessary to participate in these programs. Discounts or incentives to install interval meters, which measure and store energy usage data, are provided by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) or your utility. Your utility is also offering load reduction programs for commercial and industrial customers.

For more information on demand reduction programs, access NYISO, NYSERDA or your utility's website listed below:

New York Independent System Operator

http://www.nyiso.com/

New York State Energy Research and Development Authority

http://www.nyserda.org/

Long Island Power Authority

http://www.lipower.org/

Central Hudson Electric and Gas

http://www.chenergygroup.com/

Consolidated Edison

http://www.coned.com/

New York State Electric and Gas

http://www.nyseg,com/

Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation

http://www.nimo.com/

Orange and Rockland

http://www.oru.com/

Long-term $olutions and $trategies:

Put energy to work for New York businesses. Opportunities exist for businesses to save on their energy bill with energy efficiency improvements using state-the-art technology and/or products.

New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) funds generated through the System Benefits Charge (SBC) on utility bills are available to your businesses for the purchase and installation of energy-efficient equipment such as:

high-efficiency equipment for lighting
premium-efficiency motors
heating, ventilating and air-conditioning (HVAC) equipment
low voltage dry-type transformers

For more information on NYSERDA's energy-efficiency programs, call 1-518-362-1090 ext. 3267 or access NYSERDA's website at http://www.nyserda.org/

The New York Power Authority (NYPA) administers energy-efficiency programs that provide assistance to local, county and state government facilities, public schools and state university campuses. For more information on high-efficiency lighting and other energy saving initiatives for institutional customers, contact NYPA at (214) 681-6200 or http://www.nypa.gov/

New York utilities provide conservation services so that your business can optimize its energy systems. The amount of energy your business uses is just as important as the cost per kilowatt hour. Some utility conservation services include: