Understanding the way electricity is produced and delivered will help you understand the concept of energy curtailment. There is no way to store electricity, so when you flip on a light switch within fractions of a second the power needed to illuminate the light bulb is generated at a power plant and transmitted to local substations where transformers convert it into a usable voltage and it is distributed into your home through a network of high voltage transmission lines. This is known as the power grid.

Every day electricity consumers use a predictable minimum amount of power. This average daily use is called the base load and the power grid needs to be prepared to handle the scheduled power production, as well as plan for any usage spikes that might occur.

Peak usage time is normally in the afternoon and early evening year round and all summer long when air conditioners run day and night. When millions of Americans turn on the television in the evening, power up home computers, cook dinner, run appliances like dishwashers, washing machines, and dryers, it increases the demand on the grid.

The demand for electricity continues to increase and practicing conservation is becoming more and more important. One way to decrease the demand load is a concept call energy curtailment or demand response.

In general terms, this practice gives residential, commercial and industrial consumers the ability to voluntarily decrease their electricity usage at specific times of the day when prices are at their highest, or during emergency situations when there is a threat of blackout or power disruption.

The power industry is looking at energy curtailment programs to relieve some of the stress being imposed on the grid. Our electricity delivery system is facing a myriad of infrastructure issues because of the age of the power grid and the overwhelming and increasing demand for energy. New power plants and transmission power lines are needed, as well as innovative solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and soaring electrical and natural gas costs.

Energy curtailment programs both big and small are critical to the infrastructure solution. Automatic systems could anticipate imminent demand load problems and divert or reduce power in strategic places.

This would reduce the chance of overload and decrease the likelihood of a power failure. Voluntary reduction programs also have the potential to help electricity providers and the consumers they serve save money by eliminating the need to build additional power plants and delivery systems.

Some existing delivery systems are used exclusively during peak usage times and could be taken out of service through such a program. The potential to lower wholesale energy costs is also an aspect of advanced programs.

The benefit of energy curtailment is not just in saving money, but also in environmental responsibility. Although there is no definitive research yet on just how these programs could positively impact the environment, some beneficial effects can be expected.

Many experts in the energy industry presume that if consumers are given the opportunity to conserve electricity through a voluntary process they will do so in order to reduce monetary and environmental costs.

MXenergy is a leader in energy curtailment as well as a retail power company which offers commercial and retail electricity.

Please visit us at http://www.mxenergy.com/ for all your energy needs.

Author Bio: MXenergy is a leader in energy curtailment as well as a retail power company which offers commercial and retail electricity.

Category: Home Management
Keywords: energy curtailment , energy provider, energy prices, energy assessment