Load Management
The Load Management Guide is designed to help keep members informed on the status of their managed loads. We currently have information for Residential, Commercial, Industrial and Agricultural loads for the current day operations.
Load management is largely dependent on weather conditions.
Control times are subject to change as weather conditions and other variables affecting the load change. All times are approximate.
People's Load Management Programs help balance electrical supply and demand. The goal is to keep the amount of electricity used in balance with the amount of electricity generated, which results in a reduced need for future power plants. Load management is energy conservation at work.
People's Cooperative Services power supplier, Dairyland Power Cooperative, estimates that the program saves its system 70 megawatts of electricity in the summer and 160 megawatts in the winter...the equivalent size of a small power plant. It does so by reducing the system’s total demand during peak use hours—generally between 3 and 11 p.m. People are commonly at home running washers and dryers, dishwashers and air conditioners during that time frame. Extremely warm or cold weather also create an enormous amount of demand on the energy system, with the increase in air conditioner and furnace use.
How does load management work?
Load management can involve such techniques as interrupting water heaters or air conditioners for short periods of time, and controlling when irrigation pumps or grain drying systems run. Commercial and industrial facilities may use generators or simply reduce load for a special rate.
People's advertises the load control programs to our members. Incentives can be offered to residential and business customers who participate in the program.
Energy use is on the rise
Our power supplier is tracking a 3 percent increase per year for summer energy consumption, and a 2 percent increase every winter.
Why this upward trend? Mainly, growth in our cooperative service area, as rural areas are increasingly suburbanized. Additionally, lifestyles have changed over the past two decades. Air conditioning used to be an out-of-reach luxury for many; now, it is considered a necessity.