Consumers facing call to power down

Old-style "swamp coolers" once were the norm for helping Utahns beat the summer heat.

Now, as increasing numbers of consumers turn to central air conditioning, electricity demand in the state is skyrocketing.

That has Utah Power officials urging customers to turn off electrical appliances and turn up their thermostats when power demand reaches critical levels on hot summer days.

On Friday, utility officials joined Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert in asking consumers to conserve more electricity through the PowerForward initiative, now in its fifth year.

The program operates on a color-coded alert system, based on daily temperature and electricity demand.

Green power days indicate normal conditions. Yellow power days call for extra conservation during the hours of noon to 8 p.m. On yellow alert days, customers are urged to set their thermostats to 78 degrees or higher, cook food on outdoor grills instead of in electric ovens and run clothes dryers and dishwashers after 8 p.m.

Red alerts urge customers to avoid using electricity. Since the program's inception, no red alerts have been issued.

Yet despite pleas for more conservation, it appears Utah consumers may not be listening.

In 2001, when the program was implemented, the alert system saved roughly 100 megawatts of electricity on yellow alert days. But in 2002, savings fell to 90 megawatts. By 2003, yellow alert savings dropped to 75 megawatts. In 2004, no savings were realized because no yellow alerts were issued.

"I do think people are a little bit complacent," said Rich Walje, executive vice president of Utah Power parent company PacifiCorp. "As a state we've actually always had quite a surplus of energy, and now we're getting into a condition with load growth."

That growth has prompted the utility to build two new power plants in Utah that will cost roughly $700 million, and the bulk of those costs will be passed on to Utah ratepayers.

Next month, the utility will begin soliciting bids for a third power plant to built by 2009.

Sarah Wright, executive director of Utah Clean Energy, said central air conditioners use about 75 percent more power than evaporative coolers and are driving Utah's peak power demand growth to more than 5 percent annually.