During the recent heat wave on the East Coast, heavy power users throttled back during peak times, in response to price incentives and an "intelligent network" for electrical power delivery. "Demand Response" takes the place of "spinning reserve" power sources and significantly reduces CO2 emissions and the capital and running costs of additional power plants. An example of using price signals to improve the efficiency of the power grid.
Articles linked to in the following post in Knowledge Problem detail the short-term economic advantages of using Demand Response methods, on the theory that "bytes are cheaper than iron." Knowledge Problem: Demand Response in the Recent East Coast Heat Wave (Lynne Kiesling, Aug. 27, 2007).
Posted by dougsimpson at August 28, 2007 10:12 AM