New Population Survey Shows Increase Will Cause Electric Demand to Rise
LIPA Will Have Resources to Meet New Demand

Mineola, N.Y. - March 20, 2007 - The Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) today released its 2006 Population Survey for Nassau and Suffolk counties and the Rockaway Peninsula in Queens.  The annual survey shows a net increase in population of 15,604 residents from January 1, 2005 to January 1, 2006, which resulted in the addition of 6,439 households to LIPA’s service territory in one year.

Long Island’s ten towns and two cities, and the Rockaway Peninsula all added population during 2005, which runs counter to the results of a U.S. Census Bureau report issued last April indicating that New York State overall lost population in 2005.

“Contrary to the notion that people are leaving Long Island in droves, the region continues to add population and new households at a steady pace,” said LIPA CEO and President Richard M. Kessel.  “And, as we continue to add population we will continue to see the demand for electricity grow too.”

Mr. Kessel also noted that some 13 new commercial development projects on the drawing boards in Nassau, Suffolk and the Rockaways will add about 143.5 megawatts of new demand between 2007 and 2013 if they all come to fruition. These projects include the Nassau HUB and the Yaphank Center in Suffolk.

Since LIPA’s average residential customer used about 9,903 kilowatt hours (kWh) per year in 2005 - an increase of 28% over an eight-year period - the region’s new household’s increased electric demand by some 63.8 million kWhs.

Over the five-year period since January 1, 2001, a total of 30,544 households have been added to LIPA’s service territory.  A total of 96,429 households have been added to LIPA’s service area since 1990, which accounted for some 259,822 new residents.

LIPA’s newly released population survey shows that as of Jan. 1, 2006, Nassau County grew by 3,303 persons to a total of 1.35 million; Suffolk grew by 12,301 persons to 1.49 million for a combined increase of 15,604 for a total Long Island population of  2.85 million persons.  During that same period the Rockaway Peninsula added 5,505 residents.

In Nassau County, while all three towns and the two cities gained population, the Town of Hempstead had the biggest gain with an increase of 1,878 persons to bring its total population to 763,822.  North Hempstead had the second largest year-to-year population gain, adding 1,034 new residents to bring its total population to 223,870 residents.

All of Suffolk County’s ten towns experienced population gains during 2005.  The Town of Brookhaven continued to be the fastest growing town in Suffolk by adding 5,717 new residents.  It also remains Suffolk’s most populous town - and Long Island’s second most populous town - with an estimated population of 485,295 residents.  Islip placed second by adding 1,482 new residents; Babylon added 1,338, and Huntington added 1,271.

The Rockaway Peninsula is in Queens County and is the only portion of New York City served by LIPA.  On January 1, 2006 the population estimate for this area was 120,483 persons, which represents a growth of 5,505 persons above the January 1, 2005 estimate.

Since the 2000 Census, the Rockaway Peninsula has continued to gain population at an unprecedented pace by adding 16,375 residents, which is three times the growth the Rockaway Peninsula experienced during the previous decade.

“An increasing population also creates the need for new development and economic opportunities,” said Mr. Kessel.  We’re anticipating that between 2007 and 2013, major new projects such as the Nassau Hub, the Yaphank Center, the Calverton and Gabreski Airport developments, the Arverne Development in the Rockaways and others will add about 143.5 megawatts of new electric demand.

“The region’s population and commercial base continues to grow, which underscores the need for the new Neptune cable and Caithness project,” said Mr. Kessel.  “We’ve been able to keep the lights on by staying ahead of the ever-growing demand, and we will continue to do so in the future.”

“LIPA’s population survey is an invaluable tool to measure Long Island’s growth, trends and energy needs,” said Mr. Kessel.  “With the constant growth on the island it is necessary to plan in advance for added electric resources and transmission and distribution system upgrades.”

Recent Energy Use Trends
LIPA’s 2006 Population Survey also includes a “Recent Trends in Residential Electric Use Summary.”  The Summary outlines how the electrical requirements of the modern home have expanded and why.

LIPA believes that by helping its customers to understand what’s causing electrical usage to grow, customers will have a significant advantage in taking steps to control their electric bills.

As Long Island’s population and year-round household inventory continues to climb so does electric consumption and peak summer demand.  Last summer, on August 3, a new peak energy demand of 5,792MW eclipsed the 5,267MW record set in 2005.  The new record was a year-to-year increase of 525MW or nearly10% the largest ever on Long Island.  With 6,211MW of electric supply available from both on- and off-island resources, LIPA had an adequate supply of electricity to meet the increased demand.

Over the past eight years, the average household electric use increased 28% or 2,166 kWh.  Unlike the basic Levitt house of more than half a century ago, Long Island homes are bigger today.  In fact, the Census Bureau’s 2007 Statistical Abstract reveals that the floor space in new private one-family homes has expanded to 2,227 square feet in 2005 from 1,905 square feet in 1990, which is nearly a 17% increase.  As the square footage grows, so does the need to add the latest available consumer-oriented technologies.  The Census Bureau noted that Americans spend more of their lives than ever-about eight-and-a-half hours a day-watching television, using computers, listening to the radio, going to the movies or reading.

Energy Star-rated Homes
As the trend of larger homes and more technology continues home owners can achieve long-term energy savings by building ENERGY STAR-rated homes.  Many towns on Long Island have become aware of the benefits of energy efficient building codes and have adopted local laws requiring all applicable residential new construction to conform to LIPA’s New York ENERGY STAR-Labeled Homes program.  The specifications call for increased insulation, high efficiency heating and cooling systems, sealing of all penetrations in the structure to comply with an air leakage standard, incorporation of ENERGY STAR-rated lighting and appliances, health and safety test and installation of mechanical ventilation.  The towns that have added the local laws are Babylon, Riverhead, Oyster Bay, and Brookhaven.  Huntington and Hempstead are considering enacting similar local laws.

“LIPA is very pleased and encouraged by the forward thinking of all these towns,” said Mr. Kessel. “They’ve taken the most important first steps towards ensuring that Long Island will be energy efficient and environmentally responsible while providing significant long-term savings for Long Island residents.”

As Long Islanders become more aware of the amount of electricity they are using they can apply this knowledge to purchase energy efficient appliances.  Many major appliances are rated ENERGY STAR products.  This information can be obtained by consulting LIPA’s Electric Appliance Energy Guide.

Appliance Guide
“Long Islanders can use LIPA’s Electric Appliance Energy Guide as a reference to make sure their purchasing decisions are more efficient,” said Mr. Kessel.  “The decisions made today have long-term energy use implications.  By purchasing an ENERGY STAR model large-screen television or refrigerator, electric bills can be lowered and it will lower the impact of power plant emissions on the environment as well.”

As reported in LIPA’s Electric Appliance Energy Guide, some home appliances consume significant amounts of electricity annually.  ENERGY STAR-qualified lighting and appliances use less electricity, saving money.For example, a 75 watt incandescent light bulb that is used for 1,241 hours in a year would use 93 KWh of electricity and cost $18.89. An equivalent ENERGY STAR-qualified compact fluorescent lamp used for the same amount of hours would only use 25 KWh and cost only $5.04, resulting in an annual savings of $13.86. An in-efficient 6,500 BTU Room Air Conditioner with an Energy Efficiency Rating (EER) of 6.6 used for 283 hours peryear would consume 459KWh of electricity and cost $93.16. An ENERGY STAR-qualified unit with an EER of 10.7 used for the same amount of hours would use only 283 KWh and cost only $57.47,which is an annual savings of $35.70.  A typical clothes washer uses 504 KWh and costs $102.31 to operate. An ENERGY STAR-qualified washing machine will use only 337 KWh and cost only $76.53, an annual savings of $33.90.  A typical Central Air Conditioning (CAC) System uses 1,007 KWh to operate in a year with a cost of $308.38 for electricity. A properly sized and installed ENERGY STAR qualified CAC system with a Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating (SEER) of 15 will use only 494 KWh at a cost of $204.33, whichis a savings of $104.05 or nearly 30%.

The appliance guide also shows the dramatic difference in energy consumption between a 10-to 15-year-old frost free refrigerator/freezer, which would consume 2,046 kWh per year, and a new high efficiency model that would consume as little as 517 kWh per year, which is nearly a 75% reduction in electric consumption.

“When purchasing appliances that will be constantly working, it is important to invest in the most efficient model possible,” said Mr. Kessel.  “The initial investment may be more costly but it will be well worth the long term savings.”

The annual population estimates for LIPA’s Population Survey are derived from U.S. Census data and utility records of active residential electric meters.  For each of the approximately 300 communities in Nassau and Suffolk, plus the Rockaways in Queens, the number of persons per household is determined based on the most recent census.  Also, a relationship is established between households and residential electric meters.  Each year these factors are reviewed and adjusted to reflect demographic changes.

A copy of LIPA’s 2006 Population Survey may be obtained by sending a request to:  LIPA-2006 POP Survey, Communications Dept.- Suite 403, 333 Earle Ovington Blvd., Uniondale, NY 11553.  The survey may also be viewed or downloaded at LIPA’s Web site: www.lipower.org.

LIPA, a non-profit municipal electric utility, owns the retail electric Transmission and Distribution System on Long Island and provides electric service to more than 1.1 million customers in Nassau and Suffolk counties and the Rockaway Peninsula in Queens.  LIPA is the 3rd largest municipal electric utility in the nation in terms of customers served and the 6th largest in terms of electricity delivered.  In 2006, LIPA outperformed all other overhead electric utilities in New York State in all three major reliability categories.  LIPA does not provide natural gas service or own any on-island generating assets. More information about LIPA can be found online at: www.lipower.org.

LIPA Contact Information:
Media Relations: (516) 719-9892
Media Pager: (516) 525-LIPA
media.relations@lipower.org

LIPA News Center
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