Load Management

Commercial/Agricultural Load Control Status

PPCS is committed to energy conservation through load management. PPCS members can significantly reduce demand, protect the electric grid, and keep electric rates flat with our SHIFT for Savings program. When demand is low, wholesale power is less expensive. When demand is high, it's the opposite. Members can sign up for SHIFT for Savings alerts via email, text, or telephone calls.

PPCS members who sign up for load management can take advantage of reduced electric and water heating rates that are controlled during periods of high demand. By controlling these devices through load management, PPCS can balance electric demand more evenly, thereby reducing overall costs. PPCS can balance electric demand more evenly, thereby reducing overall costs. If you would like to enroll in this program, fill out the inquiry form at the bottom of this page, and one of our team members will contact you to move forward.

Members who are not enrolled in load management can also help lower demand by voluntarily shifting their electricity use to non-peak periods.

Winter Shift for Savings (November through April): Members can reduce non-essential electric use at the following times:

5:00 AM to 12:30 PM
3:00 PM to 10:30 PM

Summer Shift for Savings (May through October): Members can lower their electric use from 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM.

Load Management Test for Dual-Fuel Electric Heating

Load management receivers for dual-fuel electric heating systems will be tested in November, from 6:55 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. The test ensures that our load management system is working properly before the winter heating season begins.

Thank you for participating in PPCS’ load management program. If you have any questions, please contact us.

FAQs

Load management is a tool used to help balance the demand for electricity with the ability to generate and economically purchase electricity. Dairyland Power Cooperative (DPC) and its member cooperatives save money by delaying the need to construct additional power plants and reducing the need to purchase expensive power during periods of high demand.

Dairyland is a Midwest Independent Transmission System Operator (MISO) member. MISO ensures reliable power and equal access to electric generation and transmission in 15 U.S. states and in Manitoba, Canada. Consequently, Dairyland’s use of load management may also be affected by the larger MISO region's energy demands and weather patterns.

Load management saves energy and money. When we reduce energy use during peak demand times, we forestall the need to build new, expensive electricity generation facilities and transmission equipment to meet your electrical needs. Load management also provides for more efficient use of the facilities we have, which helps keep rates affordable. It does so by reducing the system’s total demand during peak use hours—generally between 2 to 7 PM in the summer (May-Oct.) and 5 AM to 12:30 PM and 3:00 PM to 10:30 PM in winter (Nov.-April). Extremely warm or cold weather also creates a high demand on the energy system, with the increase in air conditioner or furnace use.

Dairyland Power Cooperative restores loads in a manner that safely brings accounts back online so that the system doesn’t peak again. This may result in certain loads not being fully restored within the stated control window. For example, water heating in the winter may not be fully restored until 11 PM, even though the control period ended at 10:30 PM.

Load management involves techniques such as interrupting water heaters or air conditioners for short periods of time and controlling when irrigation pumps or grain drying systems run. Most residential customers experience a seamless shift, with members' thermal storage hot water and dual fuel heating systems accommodating the interruption. Commercial and industrial facilities may use generators or simply reduce electricity use for a special rate.

Electric water heating: Electric water heaters are intended to operate under PPCS’ load management program. Load management of electric water heaters can occur at any time, depending on the water heater size. PPCS encourages members to use larger-capacity water heaters to accommodate the longer load management durations.

The load management receiver is a small radio receiver that is connected to the electric water heater circuit or the off-peak electric heating equipment. During times of peak load, the receiver picks up a radio signal to interrupt power to the electric water heater, the electric heating equipment, and/or the central air conditioning unit. The lights in the small window of the load management receiver indicate how the receiver is functioning.

Green Light/Amber Light. The green and amber lights indicate there is a proper power supply and a radio signal to the receiver.
Red Lights. Any red light indicates an appliance, such as a water heater, electric heat, etc., is being interrupted. The absence of a red light indicates the normal operation of your electric heat and/or water heater. Another sign that load management has been initiated is that your backup source of heat will be operating
Cold Load Pickup. When power is restored after an outage, all load management receivers go into a shutdown mode for several minutes, and all lights will be on. Following this phase, your system should again be operating normally.

Max Generation Event Control takes place when demand may exceed generation/transmission capacity in MISO territory. (year-round)

Peak Alert Control typically takes place when demand for electricity is peaking in the mid-west. (summer and winter)

Economic Control takes place when the market price is too high to pass onto the membership. Many anticipated economic controls do not take place but could if the need arose. (year-round)

If you are not sure how your control is set up, call 800-924-2133, ext. 133, and we can provide that information based on your off-peak loads.

Members with electric resistance heat (baseboard or heat pumps) and no storage or thermostatically controlled fossil fuel backup heat can expect to be without heat for up to four hours during a control period.

Members with an automatic backup storage or thermostatically controlled heating system can expect to be off for up to six hours during a control time.

It is the homeowners' responsibility to make sure that there is adequate heat to keep the pipes from freezing during a control event. If your home is heated by baseboard only, you may want to investigate adding a thermostatically controlled backup heat, such as an ETS unit or gas fireplace. You may want to check your home for proper insulation levels also to help retain the heat in the home.

SHIFT for Savings is a program for PPCS members not enrolled in a load management strategy. Members can receive SHIFT for Savings alerts from the cooperative via email, text, or telephone calls. (The standard texting rates will apply if you do not have a texting plan on your cell phone.) The message will inform you of the anticipated peak period and remind you of the importance of reducing energy consumption during this critical time. Peak use hours are generally from 2 to 7 PM in the summer (May-Oct.) and 5 AM to 12:30 PM and 3:00 PM to 10:30 PM in winter (Nov.-April).

Load Management

Load Management Test for Dual-Fuel Electric Heating

FAQs

Load Control Enrollment Inquiry

Quick Links

Pierce Pepin Cooperative Services

Safety is Priority

Load Management Test for Dual-Fuel Electric Heating

FAQs

What is load management?

What are the benefits of load management?

How does load management work?

What is a load management receiver?

How often are my loads controlled?

How long will my heat be off ... will my pipes freeze?

Will I run out of hot water?

How does load control affect air conditioning?

How is SHIFT for Savings different than load management?

Load Control Enrollment Inquiry

Quick Links

Pierce Pepin Cooperative Services

Safety is Priority