Load Management
Twin Valleys Public Power District's peak demand for electricity use is increased during the summer months of June through September. Load Management is used by Twin Valleys Public Power District to reduce peak electric demand by managing specified electric load during peak load conditions, in an effort to reduce demand charges, transmission and wheeling costs. Twin Valleys Public Power District must provide a subtransmission and distribution system capable of meeting the peak demand. Twin Valleys Public Power District's power supplier also bills Twin Valleys Public Power District based on peak demand. By monitoring the electric load, control can be accomplished through direct methods. Irrigators can voluntarily schedule irrigation control days during peak periods (typically 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.), thus reducing power consumption during the peak demand period. When the peak demand is lowered, the savings are passed on to the customers through lower rates.
The Irrigation Waiver Status Link allow customers to check active date and time of irrigation load management control. The load management status can also be heard on KRVN 880 AM radio. Irrigation hours during peak periods are typically active between the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Control may be started up to 30 minutes before the waiver start time listed and may not end until 45 minutes after the waiver stop time. Normally, when the stop light is green, there will be no control unless some unusual or emergency conditions exist. For example, the Irrigation Waiver Status does not operate during the month of May, however, irrigation might be controlled in May.
Control times are set by Nebraska Public Power District (our power supplier) on a daily basis during the months of June through September. Control on week days and Saturdays can start as early as 9:00 a.m. and last as late as 11:00 p.m.; but will not be for more than twelve consecutive hours on any given day. Control times on Sunday will encompass these same hours, but will not be for more than six consecutive hours on any given Sunday. In order to maintain an optimum peak, the District may start control as much as thirty minutes prior to the scheduled control time. Additionally, it may take as long as 45 minutes before services become energized after control is released.
Emergency Load Control
In emergency situations, the District may implement load control at any time; including Sundays, holidays, and the three days of the week Four Day Control customers would not be expecting to be controlled.
Text Messaging
Load control text message notification is available via an email or to your cellular phone. One option is the demand waiver message, letting you know the potential time load control will start. The second option is to have Twin Valleys send a notification of when an individual account/well has been shut OFF or ON during a load control period. For more details contact the Twin Valleys Public Power District office. If you are interested in receiving text messages, contact your cell phone provider to see if any charges apply.
Twin Valleys Public Power District 2008 Irrigation Rates
Automatic Restart Devices for
Irrigation Motors
Many of Twin Valleys Public Power District irrigation consumers already know about the convenience of
automatic restart devices. An automatic restart (sometimes called an on-delay) can start an electric motor when power
becomes available after an outage. The auto-restart device is in addition to the normal
starter and is installed in the motor control panel by an electrician.
The standard motor starter requires a button to be manually pushed. This regular
starter activates a magnetic holding coil, which when energized, allows the motor to
operate. With a continuous power supply, the magnetic holding coil stays energized and the
motor keeps running. If power is interrupted, even briefly, the magnetic field is lost and the holding coil
drops out, causing the motor to stop. Without an auto-restart, the motor's starter button
must again be manually pushed - after you learn that the motor went off!
Automatic restarts take the place of the operator's finger to push the start button.
These restarts are manufactured with a delay feature, which allows for a pre-set delay.
Such a delay is sometimes necessary to allow for pump shafts to stop spinning, water to
run out of the pump column, or for sprinkler system draining.
One of the most useful purposes for an automatic motor restart is on irrigation motors
subject to power interruptions from a load management program -- such as Twin Valleys Public Power Districts'
consumers on Total Control or Four Day Control. Our program utilizes
switches which can interrupt power during the day on Code Red days and then
restores power later in the afternoon or evening. Without the auto-restart device, the motor will not start by itself when power is
restored. The cost to add an automatic restart to an irrigation motor varies. Contact your
electrician for more information.
Water Use Hotline
Contact the Water Use Hotline at (800) 993-2507
Digger's Hotline
Contact the Digger's Hotline at (800) 331-5666
