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San Diego Local Urging Generator Use to Lighten Electricity Load

May 9, 2001

As Californians adjust to the notion of several months of periodic blackouts that strike without warning, the IBEW is joining the push to take advantage of standby generator power.

Local 465 is lobbying the California Public Utilities Commission to approve a plan by San Diego Gas & Electric to use back-up generators in the event of a Stage 3 electricity shortage emergency.  SDG&E estimates the Rolling Blackout Reduction Program will generate enough to power about 50,000 homes.

David Moore, Local 465 business manager, said it would cost an initial $15 million to bring the generators online within six to eight weeks.  That  is still millions less than the revenue lost when unannounced rotating blackouts attack the power grid, he said.

"Some say the cost is too high but our response is the cost of not doing it is too high," Moore said, estimating that the region loses a quarter of a billion dollars each time a blackout hits San Diego.

He said the state expects blackouts to hit three days a week, starting in June.

"If we had 100 megawatts of standby power out there in a Stage 3 alert, it's going to avoid blackouts," Moore said. "We're doing our part to shed load from the system."

The program depends on customers turning on their backup generators at SDG&E's request to reduce their energy consumption from the region's power grid.  The cost of the program is largely funding the customer incentives for operational expenses and fuel costs.

SDG&E is requesting a portion of money earmarked by the CPUC for customer demand reduction incentive programs. The plan would save the region an estimated $1.6 billion in lost revenue, reduced productivity and property damage, according to SDG&E.

"Optimism for the new source of power must be tempered by the necessity for increased safety considerations for those working with distributed power generation," said IBEW International Utility Department Director James Dushaw.  "Backfeeding" power lines with alternative sources of electricity presents a greater worker safety challenge that must be respected, he said.