BOSTON and NEW YORK, April 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Thanks to smart energy stewardship undertaken to help alleviate electricity shortfalls and prevent potential blackouts over the past year, a collection of facilities managed by The Massachusetts Division of Capital Asset Management (DCAM), have won New England's 2006 "Demand Response Achievement Award." The award, by The New England Independent Systems Operators (NE-ISO), recognizes The Department of Correction and The University of Massachusetts Amherst for their contributions to the New England power grid that kept the lights burning when the threat of blackouts and brownouts loomed in the state.
The award-winning facilities were an integral part of a successful Emergency Demand Response pilot program executed by ConsumerPowerline (CPLN), the nation's leading strategic energy asset management firm, in the winter of 2005 and summer of 2006. DCAM began participation in the demand response program -- where energy users shed non-essential electricity when events ranging from heat waves to hurricanes threaten the electricity grid - when Massachusetts was concerned about a threat to energy supplies due to the lingering effects from Hurricane Katrina.
Based on these successes, DCAM also announced that it has extended its relationship with CPLN to manage grid reliability programs for 8 new government entities. DCAM has also renewed its contract with CPLN for 14 facilities that were part of its original 2005/2006 program Indicative of the program's value to Massachusetts and its residents: On August 2nd, 2006, an emergency "electricity event" occurred, and a blackout was avoided, in part due to the energy curtailment efforts of DCAM's participating facilities. The facilities were able to shed 8,000 kW of power, or enough to supply 5,300 homes with electricity. With the addition of the 8 new organizations, CPLN now works with DCAM to manage 18 Megawatts, enough electricity to power 12,000 homes. The money generated through these programs is reinvested in each facility to provide upgrades and energy efficiency projects.
"We are thrilled that the New England ISO has recognized DCAM's commitment to the protecting the reliability of the electricity grid in its times of greatest challenge and implementing innovative energy management strategies that reduce year-round costs for the Commonwealth," said Mike Gordon, founder and president of ConsumerPowerline. "After a successful year working with 14 government facilities, ConsumerPowerline views this new contract with DCAM as recognition of the importance of demand response in providing a safe, reliable and cost effective source of power that helps protect the integrity of the power grid for the people of Massachusetts," he said.
The 8 new facilities joining the ConsumerPowerline portfolio include: * Bristol County Sheriff * Holyoke Soldiers Home * Chelsea Soldiers Home * Mass Hospital School * Western Mass Hospital * DYS -- 425 Harvard * DYS -- Westfield * NCCI
"As our facilities began to see value in supporting the electricity grid, both monetarily and altruistically, more and more approached us to enter these programs," said Mark Nelson, deputy commissioner for DCAM. "DCAM understands that our success is due greatly in part to our partner, ConsumerPowerline, who not only helped us to safely identify the electricity load that we could reduce, but helped us take a bird's-eye-view of our energy assets to find additional opportunities to smartly reduce our facilities' energy consumption."
Under the state's agreement, participating facilities will receive revenues from the NE-ISO markets for their commitment to reduce energy use. Enrollees in the state's energy curtailment program will be provided with additional energy savings and management services, including:
* Site assessments that uncover curtailment and energy management opportunities beyond generator loads; * The crafting of sustainable curtailment plans with little or no impact on occupants' comfort. * Integration of the facilities' control systems with market-response load management strategies that prepare their facilities to profit from New England's expected move to locational-based pricing; and * Creation of innovative incentive structures that align incentives between end-users, facility managers and the markets to encourage broader participation in demand response.
This is DCAM's fourth award for its demand response work with ConsumerPowerline. In 2005, DCAM was recognized by the Peak Load Management Alliance's Demand Response Awards program for "Outstanding Achievement by an End User," and the "Better Government Award" from the Pioneer Institute. DCAM also received the 2007 "NAFSA Innovations Award" from the National Association of State Facilities Administrators.
About ConsumerPowerline
ConsumerPowerline was recently selected for the Inc 500 list for 2006, Deloitte's Technology Fast 500 Award, as well as being the recipient of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Emerging Business. ConsumerPowerline's client list features notable public and private firms including: CB Richard Ellis, Morgan Stanley, Macy's, Starwood Hotels, Hines Property Management, Forest City Ratner Corporation, Co-op City, Macklowe Properties, RFR Realty, NYU Medical Center, Newmark Properties, Douglas Elliman Property Management, Cooper Square Realty, Wentworth Management and dozens of other substantial end-users of energy.
About DCAM
DCAM's mission is to serve the citizens of the Commonwealth by providing professional and comprehensive services to state agencies in the fields of public-building design, construction, maintenance and real estate.
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