AmerenUE is offering rebates to certain commercial and industrial customers who agree to voluntarily reduce their electricity use during periods of peak usage. Reducing peak electric demand benefits both customers and UE because it improves air quality and saves money by reducing the amount of time UE must run expensive “peaking” plants or purchase power from other sources during periods when power prices are highest. It also defers the need to build costly future generating plants.
Under provisions of UE’s Peak Power Rebate Program approved by the Missouri Public Service Commission, customers who meet program specifications can sign up to voluntarily reduce all or a portion of their load during certain periods when demand for electricity is highest. These “Load Reduction Events” can be declared by UE up to 60 hours per year in response to high electric demand or high energy prices. Rebate amounts will start at 20 cents per kilowatt of load reduction for each hour of the event and increase depending on the price of energy during that period.
When UE anticipates that loads will be approaching a peak or energy prices will be high, the company will notify program participants that a Price Response Event is being called and direct them to a Web site where they can view the prices being paid for reduced load and indicate their intentions to voluntarily participate by reducing their load.
After the event is over, credits will be calculated based on the prices quoted and the customer’s actual load during the event under the terms of the program. Payment for successful participation will be provided monthly as a credit on the customer’s next bill or by check.
Participation is open to UE commercial and industrial customers who meet program specifications and can reduce their load by at least 200 kW upon request. However, total enrollment is limited to 100,000 kW of load reduction.
More information is available by calling the UE Business Energy Efficiency Team, toll-free, at 866-941-7299.
AmerenUE, a subsidiary of St. Louis-based Ameren Corporation, serves 1.2 million electric customers and 127,000 natural gas customers in a 24,000-square-mile area of north, central and eastern Missouri.
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CONTACT: Mike Cleary, 573.681.7137, of AmerenUE