 |
|
|
June 8, 2007 | AECI features energy efficiency at annual meeting Contact : Nancy Southworth SPRINGFIELD, MO. – Topics to promote more efficient electricity consumption took center stage during the 45th annual meeting of Springfield, Mo., based Associated Electric Cooperative (AECI) June 6-8 at the Hyatt Regency Crown Center in Kansas City, Mo. About 500 representatives from AECI’s member cooperative systems, including directors and managers from six regional generation and transmission cooperatives and their 51 local distribution cooperatives in Missouri, Iowa and Oklahoma, participated in sessions with national experts in the fields of energy efficiency and demand-side management. About 850,000 co-op members receive electricity provided by AECI. In addition to their environmental benefits, these topics are timely because electricity demand continues to increase among AECI’s member cooperatives. Current projections show electricity needs growing about 2.3 percent per year or about 100 megawatts annually for the next 10 years, the equivalent of adding about 30,000 homes each year. Efficient production and use of electricity play a vital role in helping control costs and ensure consumers get the most value for their money. Because of the relationship between rising electricity demand and the rising cost of electricity, AECI is aggressively exploring innovative measures to help meet its members’ growing electricity needs and control costs. Rising electricity demand necessitates the need for new power plants. This and additional factors, including construction of new environmental controls, rapidly escalating construction costs and rising fuel and operating costs, are contributing to rising costs for AECI, its members and utilities across the nation. Informational sessions June 7 at AECI’s annual meeting included presentations by several industry experts and professionals in the fields of energy efficiency and demand-side management: Ralph Cavanagh – senior attorney and energy program co-director for the Natural Resources Defense Council, covered the direction of national energy policy as it relates to demand-side management and energy efficiency. He emphasized that energy efficiency is the cheapest option for slowing load growth. Mike Chesser – chairman and CEO of Great Plains Energy Inc., discussed demand-side initiatives that Great Plains subsidiary Kansas City Power & Light is undertaking as it works to protect the environment and meet growing electricity needs in Kansas City, Mo. One successful program has been to trade consumers compact fluorescent light bulbs when they redeem incandescent bulbs. Gary Connett – director of environmental stewardship and member services for Great River Energy, a large generation and transmission cooperative that serves 615,000 consumers in Minnesota and Wisconsin, shared specific initiatives the cooperative has undertaken to use demand-side management and energy efficiency as viable, least-cost resources to meet growing electricity needs among its members. Doug Rye – a nationally recognized energy consultant, architect and radio talk show host, discussed steps homeowners can take to improve building weatherization and design to reduce energy consumption by as much as 50 percent. Rye advocates cellulose insulation and extensive caulking to help reduce air infiltration. Alecia Ward – president and CEO of the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance, a collaborative network that supports sustainable economic development and environmental preservation, showcased success stories among utilities and businesses using energy efficiency and demand-side management programs. Her organization has a variety of programs designed to promote compact fluorescent light bulbs and a program to help consumers exchange their older model, inefficient refrigerators for new, more efficient models. AECI’s annual business meeting followed June 8 and included the 2006 performance results, presented by O.B. Clark, chairman of the board, and Jim Jura, CEO and general manager. Associated Electric Cooperative Inc. is owned by and provides wholesale power to six regional and 51 local electric cooperative systems in Missouri, southeast Iowa and northeast Oklahoma that serve more than 850,000 customers. AECI’s mission is to provide an economical and reliable power supply and support services to its members. AECI is a Touchstone Energy Cooperative. An Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/D/V Efficiency and demand-side management Energy efficiency refers to steps taken to reduce overall energy consumption by specific end-use devices. Examples include installation of high-efficiency appliances; lighting; heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems; home weatherization; and efficient building design. Demand-side management program help utilities reduce demand by directly controlling operation of customers’ major end-use devices when higher cost peaking resources would be required to meet load. Common devices that can be controlled include heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems; large motors; and electric water heaters. A strong environmental record During the past 12 years, AECI achieved a 90 percent reduction in its annual sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions rate and a 77 percent reduction in its nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions rate by converting to low-sulfur coal from Wyoming, closing its Missouri mine and installing environmental controls at a cost of $650 million. AECI is working to further improve air quality by adding new emissions controls at its existing facilities at a cost of $330 million, including equipment that will reduce the cooperative’s systemwide NOx emissions rate by 90 percent. Last year, AECI committed to buying for the next 20 years all the energy produced by three wind farms in northwest Missouri. The state’s first utility-scale wind farms are the result of a unique partnership among AECI and its member cooperatives; Tom Carnahan’s St. Louis-based Wind Capital Group and John Deere Wind Energy, a unit of Deere & Co. The first wind farm, Bluegrass Ridge, is located in Gentry County and began producing electricity March 8. Two additional facilities, the Cow Branch and Conception wind farms, are located in Atchison and Nodaway counties, respectively. These facilities are expected to be complete by year-end 2007. Combined, the three wind farms will be capable of producing 157 megawatts, enough power for about 45,000 homes. For its leadership in helping bring utility-scale wind power to Missouri, AECI recently received the “2006 Wind Co-op of the Year” award from the U.S. Department of Energy. In early 2007, AECI received another national environmental award for reclaiming mined land in north-central Missouri. The Interstate Mining Compact Commission presented AECI and its Thomas Hill Energy Center with the Kenes C. Bowling National Mine Reclamation Award in the coal category for its efforts in reclaiming the Bee Veer mine in Macon County. ### Released: 8 June 2007 |
|
|||
 |