Ca: Edison powers down for summer

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Edison powers down for summer HIGH DEMAND: County voluntarily shuts center to avoid rolling brownouts. By Andy Castagnola Ventura County Star writer Wednesday July 5, 2000

It's time to turn off the lights and turn down the air conditioning.

The state's power reserves are dipping dangerously low during summer workdays, causing Southern California Edison to periodically shut down power to volunteer customers.

The last shutdown happened June 28, and it may happen two or three times a month during the summer, said Tom Nielsen, president of Camarillo's Energy Systems Inc.

The volunteers -- typically large industrial, commercial and agricultural companies -- pay a discount rate if they agree to interrupt power when necessary.

California's Independent System Operator -- ISO -- determines when to activate the shutoffs. Power reserves must fall below 5 percent, a Stage II emergency.

If reserves dip lower than 1.5 percent, a Stage I emergency, the ISO can block power to entire sections of the state. These rolling brownouts can last as long as a few hours.

"We're issuing a call to action," said Pam Bass, SCE senior vice president for customer service. "If the demand for power does not decrease soon, we will be ordered by the state to shut off power for blocks of customers."

Nielsen said a mandatory brownout is possible for the county this summer.

Voluntary shutoffs are intended to avoid rolling brownouts.

Volunteer customers, including the county of Ventura, Amgen and Procter & Gamble, are placed in a rotation system. Different customers are asked to cut their power on certain days, said Rudy Gonzales, SCE region manager.

Gonzales said most volunteers don't have to close shop during the power shutoffs.

"The larger businesses that are on the interruptible rate typically have alternative sources of electricity," Gonzales said.

However, Nielsen said most companies have inadequate security blankets unable to sustain operations.

The shutoffs can last five to six hours, enough time for the ISO to monitor the decreased energy use.

June 28's shutoff lasted four hours and hit the County Government Center.

While workers had to leave for the afternoon, county energy manager David Inger said the alternative is far worse. If the county refused to turn off power, its energy rate would skyrocket from 6 cents to $9 per kilowatt.

"If we didn't take part, we might be victims of a brownout anyway," Inger said. "And if we had a serious brownout, we could damage a lot of equipment."

Shutdowns have only happened at the County Government Center four times in 13 years, Inger said. During that time, the county has saved $4 million by paying the interruptible rate.

However, the discount rate is headed for extinction by 2002. As the state deregulates the energy industry, no independent agency will offer the low rate, Nielsen said.

For Inger, this means higher energy bills, at least in the short-term aftermath.

Eventually, deregulation is intended to increase the state's energy capacity, holding rates down, Nielsen said.

Until deregulation, companies paying the interruptible rate might need to shut down power more frequently.

In addition, homeowners paying a reduced rate for a voluntary air-conditioning shutoff program might be called to participate.

http://www.staronline.com/news/315237.shtml

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), July 05, 2000


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