Conserving Energy – Part 1 in a Series

There are two issues in the news that are very important to the utility industry.  The first issue is regarding renewable energy and the second issue involves how government is going to address global warming.  Both issues are going to have a direct impact on electric rates over the next few decades. Conservation is going to be a major factor in both issues.  This includes conserving not only electricity, but all of the energy and fuels we use everyday. 

Renewable Energy

Renewable energy is a good thing.   Most states have defined renewable energy sources as wind, biomass, geothermal, solar thermal, photovoltaic, fuel cells using renewable fuels, small hydropower, landfill gas, ocean wave, ocean thermal and tidal current. (In all of these sources the energy is clean and often helps the environment by using materials that would end up in a landfill.) Most renewable projects are expensive to design and build – not something a distribution cooperative like Oconto Electric can afford to fund and not something most individuals can afford to fund.  Generation and transmission utilities like Dairyland Power Cooperative in LaCrosse and Wisconsin Public Service have more resources in terms of financing, engineering and developing these types of projects.
One way the government is trying to increase renewable energy is to mandate that utilities produce 25% of our energy requirements from renewables by 2025. While even 25% is going to be hard to attain, as the demand for electricity increases each year, the 25% becomes a bigger number.  By practicing conservation, we can reduce the need for more traditional power plants and the 25% renewables becomes an easier number to attain.

Global Warming

Many scientists believe high greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations will result in a warming of the earth’s atmosphere and changes in the climate. Over the last 20 years, the U.S. and other countries have debated how to address the increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide (CO2), the primary greenhouse gas, is also a product of fossil fuel combustion. In Washington, both Congress and the Administration are debating how to address climate change. The important thing about global warming is that whatever policies utilities will be required to follow, it will be expensive and will have a huge impact on the price of electricity. 
If we can reduce the need for more power generation, it will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions without the huge expenses.
What We Can Do

Your next question is going to be, “If conservation is the answer, then why is Oconto Electric working so hard to promote electric heat?”  The answer lies in the phrase “reducing demand”.  Demand is how much power is needed at any one time to satisfy power requirements.  There has to be enough power generation available to meet the highest, also known as peak demand, or we face blackouts, brownouts and rolling outages.  As demand is reduced, the need for more generation is reduced thus greenhouse gases are reduced.  Oconto Electric Cooperative’s electric heat and load management programs are all designed to not add to the peak demand.  Also, as far as being good for the environment, electric heat has no emissions and is 100% efficient. 
In the upcoming months, articles in the local section of this publication will focus on conservation.  We will tell you about ways to reduce your electric usage and ways to shift your usage so you are not contributing to OEC’s peak demand. Anytime you see the Eye On Energy logo it means the information can help you be more energy efficient, saving energy and/or money.
Many of our members have already done a lot to help OEC reduce demand by being a part of our load management programs and we thank you for that. As for the rest of our members - we’ll keep working on you. OEC believes being good to the environment is the right thing to do.