City Unveils Measures To Drive Sustainability, Reduce Power Use

GENEVA, IL — In an effort to promote sustainability and reduce large industrial and commercial power use in Geneva, City Council approved a five-year partnership with a Maryland-based company to implement several aggregation programs.

Trustees approved the partnership with CPower Energy Management during the regular Board meeting Monday. The group will administer the city's regional transmission provider's — PJM — energy efficiency and emergency capacity aggregation programs, officials said.

According to city officials, CPower is the largest provider for demand response in the ComEd and PJM markets.

The move is an initiative designed to help industrial and commercial companies "save money on energy, reduce the electric load on the power grid during peak times, and reward them for their sustainability efforts," city officials said in a news release.

"The new programs will offer incentives to Geneva’s current and future businesses, to take actions that will lower their energy costs, and provide our community with a greener future," City Superintendent of Electric Services Aaron Holton said in a statement. "We’re proud to partner with CPower, who has demonstrated their expertise in navigating programs in complex energy markets, so Geneva companies can focus on running their businesses."

The following is an overlook at programs that will be offered, according to city officials:

Energy capacity

• Participating businesses can earn money for using less energy when the power grid is stressed. Officials said some facilities in the area have received payments of more than $16,000 during the current program year.

Ancillary services

• To make quick energy reductions, typically within 30 minutes, industrial customers get paid to be on call 24/7 year-round. This helps the grid react to sudden, short-term disturbances.

Energy efficiency

• Facilities can be paid as much as $40/kW per year for permanent load reduction resulting from qualified energy efficiency projects.