Ice Energy to Deliver 250 KW Electric Capacity to Central Maine Power Company
Ice Energy will deliver 250 KW of electric capacity for the Central Maine Power Company (CMPCO) as part of an innovative pilot program approved this week by the Maine Public Utilities Commission (MPUC).
To manage the peak electric load created by the region’s demand for air conditioning, the MPUC is exploring non-transmission alternatives (NTA) to meet the reliability needs in the Boothbay Harbor area.
“The Maine PUC’s leadership aligns with the momentum we’re seeing in energy storage across New England,” said Mike Hopkins, EVP Corporate Development and Legal for Ice Energy. “The old paradigm of building costly new plants and transmission infrastructure to meet peak electric demand is being displaced by a willingness to explore energy storage as a clean, cost-effective alternative.”
Ice Energy will deliver the capacity for GridSolar, the coordinator of the program, in the form of Ice Bears deployed across the Boothbay sub-region of Central Maine Power Company. Each Ice Bear unit provides peak demand reduction by thermal energy storage and can also provide demand response.
This project also has the support of the Boothbay Harbor Region Chamber of Commerce, which sees the project as a positive element in their efforts to update the amenities of the quaint coastal area. Catherine Wygant Fossett, Executive Director of the Boothbay Harbor Region Chamber of Commerce said, “There’s nothing charming about an antiquated air conditioner that consumes masses of power during summer heat peaks when we all need to conserve energy. Ice Energy helps keep costs down for all of us — and helps fulfill our goal of building a clean, efficient energy future for the Boothbay Harbor Region’s residents and visitors.”
The Ice Bear is an award-winning, proven system that has been widely deployed for more than a decade nationwide. It provides an equal or better cooling alternative to traditional air-conditioning by shifting the electricity consumption required to run the units from day to night to create and store cooling energy in the form of ice.