Uniondale, NY - July 14, 2017 - PSEG Long Island continues to have enough electric capacity to meet customer demand for today’s high temperatures and high humidity. While there are no capacity concerns, PSEG Long Island is activating its voluntary Thermostat Energy Conservation Program and Smart Savers program today to reduce loading on the system, helping to create savings for customers.
“In order to generate the most savings for our customers the voluntary program needs to be implemented on the highest load day of the summer,” said Michael Voltz, director of energy efficiency and renewable energy for PSEG Long Island. “Today’s high temperatures and high humidity have the potential to create higher loads with the possibility of being the highest peak load this summer.”
PSEG Long Island’s thermostat programs generate the most savings for our customers if implemented on the highest load day of the summer. PSEG Long Island’s load forecasts and state-mandated capacity requirements are based on peak-usage levels from previous years. By reducing peak usage this year, it lowers the amount of power to be purchased in advance for next summer.
Approximately 35,000 customers who have elected to participate in one of the two programs will either experience 30 minute on- and off-cycling of their central air conditioning systems or a four degree increase in temperature setting between the hours of 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. dependent upon the program they are enrolled in. Air conditioner fans will operate continuously to circulate cool air.
The conservation program was activated on August 12th, 2016 resulting in about 28 MW of reduction in peak demand and $2 million in capacity savings for 2017.
With new resources coming from the Smart Savers Program, today’s projected capacity savings is for approximately 34MW which would equate to about $2.2 million savings in 2018. Activation also allows PSEG Long Island to fully assess the program’s capability to reduce demand in cases of emergency need to help maintain reliability.
High temperatures and high electric demand can sometimes cause scattered heat-related outages. PSEG Long Island has a full complement of crews and is available and will address outages as quickly and safely as possible. Customers who experience an outage should call 1-800- 490-0075.
If you have any questions, please call PSEG Long Island’s Smart Savers Thermostat Program Infoline at 1-866-547-2334 or PSEG Long Island’s Energy Efficiency Infoline at 1-800-692-2626. For more information on the program, visit HERE.
PSEG Long Island operates the Long Island Power Authority’s transmission and distribution system under a 12-year contract. PSEG Long Island is a subsidiary of Public Service Enterprise Group Incorporated (NYSE:PEG), a publicly traded diversified energy company with annual revenues of $9.1 billion.