How Much Energy Do We Need? Part 1

• FIEC’s energy needs fluctuate during the year, peaking in summer when seasonal customers arrive.  

• Commercial customers have a fairly steady demand over the year, whereas our residential customers, including seasonal residents, make up most of the increase in the summer.

• We also have a surge in peak-period use in summer, usually from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm when everyone is home, cooking dinner, doing laundry, etc.

• If the winds are calm during that peak period, we need to buy power from the mainland at expensive peak power prices.  Reducing demand during peak helps reduce costs.

• Another important thing to consider is what our power demand will be in the future. 

• Our current annual power demand is about 10.5 million kwh, and we’ve seen about a 1% growth in demand each year since 2010, including new construction and recent heat pump installations.

• Projected ahead, FIEC is estimating 15% growth over the next decade, due to heat pump installations, electric vehicles, seasonal homes converting to year-round occupancy, new construction, and continued electrification of our islands.

• The FIEC and FIW boards are evaluating options for meeting the energy demand, reducing line losses, and providing for expected increases in energy demand in the future.