SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 31 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Pacific Gas and Electric Company today announced that it's customers throughout northern and central California played a critical role in helping the state avoid power emergencies with their vigilant energy conservation efforts yesterday. PG&E's demand response customers alone saved approximately 300 megawatts of electric capacity, helping California's electric grid manager, the California Independent System Operator (California ISO) maintain reliable power reserves throughout the state.
"PG&E would like to thank our customers for the peak demand reduction they achieved yesterday," said Steve McCarty, director of demand response for Pacific Gas and Electric Company. "Energy conservation is a win-win situation. It helps California increase system reliability, and it helps customers save money on their bills."
PG&E's demand response programs are an effective way to quickly lower energy demand when it's needed most. The utility has distributed colorful energy orbs to 2,200 large business customers participating in these programs. The orb is equipped with an electronic chip that receives a wireless signal every 15 minutes. When power supplies are adequate, the orb remains solid blue in color. When energy conservation is needed, the signal activates the orb to change colors. Demand response programs give PG&E the ability to reduce its peak load by over 600 megawatts of electric capacity, equal to a large power plant.
While the California Energy Commission and the California ISO report there will be ample power supplies in northern and central California to meet demand this summer, extremely hot weather or the loss of a major power plant or transmission line may lead PG&E or the California ISO to implement its electrical emergency process, which calls for demand response customers to immediately conserve energy.
For More Information on PG&E's Demand Response Programs go to
http://www.pge.com/demandresponse
