Quick Fact – OPALCO’s Plan for our Energy Future
Climate change is transforming our world.
OPALCO has a smart plan for our energy future – and it depends each of us doing our part!
- Our energy world is changing rapidly.
- Say goodbye to fossil fuels (propane, natural gas, gasoline, wood, oil).
- OPALCO has a plan to meet the new challenges. It’s going to be a heavy lift, but we can do it – if we work together.
- The plan is designed to protect us from rising market costs, environmental harm and mainland outages as capacity issues constrain the regional (and national) grid.
- Conservation and wise use (efficiency) of power are – and will remain – the BEST and least cost energy resource available. OPALCO’s rebate program supports a wide range of efficiency measures.
- Our heating and transportation loads will shift to electric – including ferries!
- Devices will help us to make wise use of electricity: choosing how and when we use power based on dynamic price signals.
- OPALCO will meet up to 30% of our power needs with local renewable and energy storage (battery) projects by 2040.
- It’s going to be expensive – this generation of rate payers will start to pay for the transition.
- We will always rely on our connection to the mainland – our regional hydro system – to meet our demand for power and also to “firm up” our renewable (intermittent) resources when the wind doesn’t blow and the sun doesn’t shine.
- Our team is following all developing technologies and will implement solutions that make most sense for our sensitive marine environment and our membership. To fulfill the OPALCO mission into the future, we must take action now to build equity through rates and prepare the Co-op to meet the challenges and take advantage of the opportunities.
- The Island Way Campaign will help members to prepare for this energy future with information, resources, tools and opportunities for member. dialogue. The Island Way promise: What we share is stronger than what we face.
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