Local Retailers Can “Go Green” by Keeping Store Doors Closed When AC is Running

Southampton, NY-July 11, 2007-”With energy demands on Long Island hitting record highs last summer, and with new records possible for this summer, conserving energy, becoming more-energy efficient and “going green” have taken on added importance as the demand for energy Island-wide has soared,”  said LIPA CEO Richard M. Kessel. The Long
Island Power Authority (LIPA) today launched a special  Stores…Shut Your Doors-SSYD” campaign to get retail stores across Long Island to conserve energy by keeping store doors shut when using air conditioning.
According to a field survey done by LIPA last summer, as many as 65% of merchants in downtown areas keep their doors wide open during the summer months, allowing air conditioners to wastefully pump cool air right out the door.  That wastes money for the merchant, which could be as much as 25% of their summer electric costs.  It also impacts customers who pay, in higher merchandise costs, higher energy costs to pay for electric system improvements, increased energy supply needs and excess emissions being put into the air and environment.

According to Mr. Kessel, on the South Fork alone, energy demand has risen an astounding 101% in the past nine years.  Keeping up with increasing energy demand has required LIPA to secure new sources of supply and make significant upgrades to the transmission and distribution system.

“Unnecessarily wasting energy pollutes the air and our environment,” said Mr. Kessel.  “We estimate that stores that allow air conditioned air to escape by leaving doors open wastes about 20 to 25% of the electricity they consume.  That is a waste of electricity, money and infrastructure resources.

“Local retailers can ‘Go Green’ right now by keeping their doors shut when the AC is on,” said Mr. Kessel.

“Needlessly wasting energy is like littering: it unnecessarily puts pollutants into the air and our environment. But it’s even worse, because these pollutants harm our health and cause global warming and climate change,” said Gordian Raacke, Executive Director of East Hampton-based Renewable Energy Long Island (RELI). “When it comes to solving our energy problems, everyone can do something and the least we can do is to stop wasteful energy use at our homes and workplaces.”

“I want to commend LIPA and our local merchants who have agreed to work together to lower energy demands here on the East End,” said Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr.  “It’s important that during these hot and humid days we as consumers do all we can to conserve energy which will, in the long run, cut down on consumer costs.”

“As the Village of Southampton expands it’s policy on using green products to protect our environment, we encourage our residents and businesses to think Green,” said Mayor Mark Epley. “LIPA’s “Stores….Shut Your Doors” campaign is a step in the right direction and the Village applauds LIPA as they move to preserve our national resources.”

Mr. Kessel noted that as of last year, peak summer demand on the South Fork had increased an astounding 101% from 117 megawatts (MW) in 1998 to the new record of 236MWs, set on August 3, 2006.  To deliver that increased amount of electricity, LIPA has invested over $90 million for new transmission lines, substations and substation upgrades on the South Fork since 1999, and an additional $32.5 million in upgrades are scheduled for 2007 and 2008.

“Keeping up with growing demand requires LIPA to secure new sources of supply, like the newly commissioned Neptune Cable and the Caithness power plant,” said Mr. Kessel.  “It also requires significant upgrades to the transmission and distribution system on the South Fork to be able to deliver record amounts of electricity safely and reliably during peak summer demand periods, especially during periods of extreme heat when everyone wants to blast their air conditioners.”

Mr. Kessel is calling on merchants to shut their doors and customers to make a point of commenting to a store’s management when they enter a store with the AC on and the door open. “Show support for LIPA’s Stores…Shut Your Doors” campaign, it will save money and help preserve Long Island’s precious resources.”

In addition to the villages in Southampton and East Hampton, the SSYD campaign will also focus on retail stores in Great Neck and Huntington villages, and the Woodbury area, which were the locations surveyed by LIPA last summer.

For information on how to become a SSYD patrol volunteer and to receive your free SSYD stickers, visit 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: http://www.lipower.org.

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