ECS secures 30 MW target for a DR programme

Energy Curtailment Specialists (ECS) has shared that in only one summer season it successfully delivered a demand response portfolio, representing more than 30 MW of on-call load reduction, to KCP&L.

Approximately 350 commercial customers were recruited by ECS to take part in the MPower programme which is designed to provide grid stability and manageable energy prices while offering an incentive to businesses for conservation. This portfolio was called upon and delivered essential load reduction four times during the 2008 season, which runs from June through September.

According to Paul Tyno, executive vice president program development for ECS, the most successful demand response programmes are the ones that effectively bridge the needs of the utility with the realities of the customer.

"While it's important to enroll megawatts in a DR portfolio, it's far more important that those megawatts are reliable and acquired in a fashion that preserves and enhances the utility's long standing customer relationships," said Tyno.

ECS will get down in the trenches with customers to understand their business and in turn help them understand and better manage their energy use.

KCP&L utilises a demand response curriculum to assist in managing summer peak electric demand. These DR programmes are a vital component of their Comprehensive Energy Plan, the company's long-term action plan for providing sustainable, environmentally responsible energy to the region.