Electric Co-op Today

Co-op staffers working to incorporate demand-side management concepts into their operations procedures are getting some help from the Cooperative Research Network in the form of a 155-page guide that covers everything from energy efficiency programs to demand response.

“The guide is designed to help evaluate programs and help co-ops make decisions that make sense both for consumer-members and for their operations,” said Brian Sloboda, a CRN program manager. “We’ve looked at the issues from a co-op perspective that address the special relationship distribution co-ops have with their consumer-members.”

CRN commissioned the guide to address renewed interest in programs designed to encourage consumers to reduce their electricity consumption and modify their usage patterns.

“The Guide to the Essentials of Energy Efficiency and Demand Response,” published in May, was produced with input from G&Ts, distribution co-ops and outside consultants. It is expected to help co-ops save money even as they plan for future supply needs.

It will also help ensure that G&Ts address regulatory considerations that could weigh heavily upon their ability to obtain certificates of need for new power plants.

“We are offering a section that includes a series of formulas state regulators require utilities to use when evaluating DSM programs. Many co-ops have not used these formulas in the past but may have to in the future,” said Sloboda. There are also case studies that illustrate how the data can be used successfully even as co-ops work to maximize the benefits of demand-side management.

“This material will also help make co-op staffers and directors more aware of the differences between energy efficiency and conservation programs so they will be able make better use of their resources,” Sloboda said. “There are over 60 reports on programs co-ops may want to add to their own operations.”

Tags: Co-op News, Cooperative Research Network, Demand-Side Management, Efficiency and Conservation