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Project tied to I-5 Corridor Reinforcement and managing peak load during extreme cold events
(PORTLAND, OR) -- The Bonneville Power Administration is looking to learn more about
the potential for demand response to help it manage transmission
congestion during summer heat waves and shave peak energy demand during
cold snaps. This is the first non-wires measure BPA will test in
association with its I-5 Corridor Reinforcement Project, which it is
considering building.
BPA has selected EnerNOC to
serve as its commercial aggregator, which means EnerNOC will be
responsible for working through Northwest utilities to find commercial
participants that are willing to decrease energy consumption when sent
an electronic signal.
“This is another important step
in our efforts to find flexible capacity from outside the hydro system
to deliver value to our customers,” said BPA Administrator Elliot
Mainzer. “This project is about using innovative technology to help BPA
manage infrastructure costs and energy consumption to preserve system
reliability.”
The demand response activities
EnerNOC will implement include a summer initiative to manage
transmission congestion and flows in the same area the I-5 Corridor
Reinforcement project is focused, and a winter initiative to shave peak
energy usage during extreme cold snaps.
Summer Non-Wires Relief
North to south energy flows
into the Portland/Vancouver metropolitan area during the summer can
approach system operation limits and create the potential for blackouts.
In January 2011, BPA commissioned a non-wires screening study
that listed demand response as one of several non-wires measures that
could help manage transmission congestion in advance of constructing the
I-5 Corridor Reinforcement project.
BPA currently projects that it
will need the I-5 Corridor Reinforcement in 2021. Under the current
project schedule, BPA expects to decide whether or not to build the line
in 2016. If BPA determines it could not build the line in time to meet
the electrical need, non-wires measures such as this one would be
necessary until the project could be built.
“We know non-wires measures
cannot replace the need for the I-5 Corridor Reinforcement project,”
said Mark Korsness, BPA Transmission Service project manager. “We also
know non-wires measures are a valuable tool we may need to employ until
we can complete the project if we decide to build it. It is important to
test these measures well in advance of the need, and our team has done a
good job pulling this demonstration together.”
EnerNOC will enlist the
participation of large energy consumers that could lower their energy
use within 10 minutes of receiving an electronic signal initiated by
BPA. The reduction would be available up to four hours during hours of
peak energy use up to five consecutive days. EnerNOC is aiming to enlist
enough participants to reduce up to 20 megawatts of energy use in
summer 2015 and up to 25 megawatts in summer 2016.
Winter Peak Relief
The Federal Columbia River
Power System can be stretched to its limit during certain periods. BPA
and its federal partners that own and operate the dams need flexibility
for the many important purposes the dams serve, which include fish
passage and variable energy integration.
“Demand response provides us a
great opportunity to help ourselves and our customers,” said Mark
Gendron, senior vice president of BPA Power Services. “Testing tools
that provide potential system flexibility and save our ratepayers money
benefits us all.”
EnerNOC will enlist the
participation of customers that could lower their energy use within 20
minutes of receiving a signal to do so. The reduction would be available
for up to two three-hour periods up to three consecutive days. EnerNOC
will begin the winter demonstration in December 2015 seeking up to 13
megawatts of relief in the first year and 25 megawatts in the second
year.
Going Forward
BPA continues to explore various demand response tools to defer the
need for transmission projects, balance variable energy resources,
relieve transmission congestion and meet other needs. Demand response is
one of several areas in which BPA’s Technology Innovation office is funding pilot projects.
BPA’s current power contracts
include a “demand charge” its public utility customers incur when their
aggregate energy consumption exceeds a predetermined level. The charge
sends a price signal to customers and encourages the use of tools such
as demand response to shave peak energy use. These types of initiatives
can be useful to our customers as they search for ways to manage their
loads and minimize their demand charge.
More information on demand response and other BPA energy efficiency efforts is available on the BPA website.
