The purpose of Water and Light s Load Shedding Program is to reduce Columbia s peak demand through voluntary curtailment of loads at the customer level during peak afternoon periods. Peak loads result when the overall demand for electricity in the community increases to the point that it reaches record levels. Typically, they occur on hot summer weekdays between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. On these days, customers in the program are asked to curtail their demand for electricity for a three hour period. Columbia Water and Light can not anticipate the number of load shedding days expected during any one summer. Generally, an average summer will produce less than seven days in which load shedding is needed.
Notification is through a load management signal box that the utility provides to the customer.
The signal box is equipped with a light to signal the need for load shedding and, optionally, will have an audible alarm to insure attention by appropriate staff. At the customer s request, a faxed notification can be sent out, alerting a contact person that load shedding is being requested. A recording electric meter will be installed to the customer s facility to measure the amount of electric load that is being shed during the requested periods. Over the course of the summer, these load shedding levels will be averaged to arrive at an annual load shedding credit. If no peak days occurred during a summer the customer would receive the same credit that was given the year previous.