Saint John Energy workers can be seen at work in this file photo. (Staff photo)
A Saint John Energy initiative to reduce peak electricity demand has been recognized nationally.
The utility received the “Advancement of an Integrated Approach to Sustainability Award” from the Canadian Electricity Association on Wednesday.
The award is given to a company that has demonstrated “outstanding leadership in the development, implementation, and maintenance of an integrated sustainability strategy within the company.”
In the case of Saint John Energy, the utility received the award for its “Shave the Peak” initiative.
The idea behind the initiative is simple: encourage customers to reduce energy usage when a major increase in demand is expected.
When the utility experiences peak demand, its wholesale prices go up and fossil-burning peakers have to be turned on.
Each month, the utility pays a standard energy rate and a peak energy rate, which increases as the monthly peak demand goes up. The peak energy rate works out to $14.64 per kW for the maximum kW reading each month, or more than $25 million a year.
During its first Peak Alert on March 2, the utility said it shaved more than 14 megawatts off the peak that day. Those efforts saved Saint John Energy and its customers more than $210,000 in peak energy charges.
“By being able to reduce the peak, we can reduce the environmental impact and also reduce the cost to help us keep our rates stable for customers,” Chloe Murphy, a spokesperson for Saint John Energy, told us in a previous interview.
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