PR 90 04

BONNEVILLE POWER ADMINISTRATION
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
TUESDAY, Nov. 30, 2004
Ed Mosey

PORTLAND, Ore - The Bonneville Power Administration has selected Quantec LLC of Portland, Ore, to conduct a pilot project in the Tri-Cities area that would enable utilities to directly control irrigation pump motors in periods of heavy electricity use.

The proposal, selected from among 28 submissions, is part of an effort to find ways to cut critical peak energy usage and delay the construction of new transmission lines. This effort is under the auspices of BPA’s Non-Wires Solutions initiative. Where practical, temporarily reducing demand on power lines can be less costly than building new infrastructure.

Quantec, in association with IRZ Consulting and OSU Advisory Services, will work with selected farmers served by Benton County PUD #1 and Franklin County PUD in the Tri-Cities area of Washington to execute the plan, said David Le, BPA project manager.

BPA awarded Quantec a $270,000 grant to conduct the pilot project between Dec. 1, 2004 and Nov. 1, 2005. The action plan calls for using standard wireless communication networks and proven input/output technology to directly control the irrigation pumps, said Hossein Haeri of Quantec.

Utilities should be able to directly control at least five megawatts during critical peak periods. If curtailed for one hour, the five megawatts saved is equivalent to the energy required by 3,000 homes during the same time period. Because irrigation demand is seasonal, it can make economic sense to curtail use of power temporarily that might otherwise cause overloading of existing transmission lines.

The pilot project is part of BPA’s "Non-Wires Solutions" initiative to find ways to delay or avoid constructing new transmission lines. A round table of industrial and utility members is in its second year working to make non-wire solutions a reality in the region.

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