Flex Your Power Case Study: Kings County

The County Administrator's Office of Kings County formed a committee to help solve the energy crisis concerns in the fall of 2000. The energy goals of the committee were to save money, reduce energy usage and to "stay on" during blackouts to avoid sending employees home. The committee enacted several no-cost and low-cost conservation projects, including changing the summertime work week, altering the cold-water pump times and retrofitting lights. Additionally, Kings County bought a generator, which enabled the county to avoid financial loss due to blackouts and a fee of $9 per kilowatt for not dropping off the grid when required to do so under the term of its interruptible rate agreement. The conservation and efficiency efforts reduced Kings County's energy usage by 71,330 kWh from 2000.

The energy goals of the committee were to save money, reduce energy usage and to "stay on" during blackouts to avoid sending employees home.

Public Works staff measured results by comparing the period from June 19 to July 19 of 2000 to the same period in 2001. The county found the following results:
- Overall, used 71,330 less kWh, based on 17 cents/kWh rate - 735,809 kWh in 2000 vs. 664,478 KWH in 2001.
- Saved 8,500 kWh and $1,445 from the change of work hours during summer.
- Low-cost conservation measures (thermostats, water pump schedule) saved 62,830 kWh and $10,681.00.
- Reduced peak usage by 22 percent for a energy cost savings of $8,700.

Energy costs increased from $67,969 to $102,101 because of increased utility rates (the $102,101 included an $8,700 rebate from the 20/20 program). If the County had used the same amount of electricity as the last year, they would have paid $124,600. If the 2000 rate per kWh had been applied to 2001 power usage, the county would have saved $22,499.