While there are many reasons that your school should participate in a Demand Response program, we’ll list the top five.

• Earn Money – Schools will receive quarterly payments for their participation in the demand response program, even if an energy emergency is never called. The amount of money a school can receive depends upon how much electricity you consume during peak periods in the summer, as well as how much you can reduce your consumption. Some customers will receive revenues totaling as much as 10-15 percent of their electric bill.
• Support Your Community – Your voluntary participation will help enhance electricity reliability for everyone. You will be taking an important step to reduce electricity demand, control costs and minimize the environmental impact of electricity production.
• Risk Management – By developing a Demand Response Program, your school will have the tools to manage a potential brownout situation, reducing the potential risk for property damage and operational interruptions.
• Energy Audit – The first step in agreeing to an energy reduction plan is a free energy audit of a school’s utility use. This can help uncover problem areas and help a school develop an energy efficiency program that can reduce utility bills throughout the year.
• Educational Benefits – Schools in some places have used Demand Response to teach students about energy use issues, educating the next generation of environmental stewards.

It is worth noting the electric grid operator has never called an emergency situation requiring schools to implement their energy reduction plans in Northern Illinois.