TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Lowfoot, Inc. announced today that the company has deployed its Ontario-member-based virtual peaker plant to provide capacity. Searing hot weather in Ontario has stressed the power grid, and yesterday the Hourly Ontario Energy Price reached a high of $158 per MWh, more than 5 times the typical level. Lowfoot has declared a system “Critical Power Event” and notified its members.
“We have asked our Ontario-based members to reduce their electricity usage between 5 to 8 PM Wednesday,” said Shirley Rouse, company President. “Everyone who reduces their use will receive a $1.50 per kwh PayPal payment, about $5 total per household. The electricity grid is expected to be under strain this afternoon and this is a way we can help.”
Founded in Toronto, Lowfoot Inc. provides smart-meter based customer engagement and demand response for utilities in markets across North America. For Ontarians, weary of the debate about gas fired peaker plants, the Lowfoot Solution offers power companies an immediately deployable solution that reaches the residential and small commercial customers. For consumers it provides an instant reward for their reduction efforts.
The Virtual Peaker Plant works by having thousands of customers reduce their usage coincidentally to help reduce electricity usage at peak periods. “There are several actions consumers can take to shift their peak load -- raising their thermostats 2-3 degrees, delaying dishwashers, and scheduling swimming pool pumps to run later at night,” stated Rouse. Consumers who reduce are paid directly. Recently, Ontario’s Energy Minister Bob Chiarelli announced that the Government of Ontario will pursue energy efficiency measures and conservation before investing in new power plants. Programs like Lowfoot provide a ‘crowd-sourced’ solution that rewards consumer conservation.
About Lowfoot, Inc.
Founded in 2009, Lowfoot is a privately held corporation with offices in Toronto, Canada and Houston, Texas. Lowfoot is a rapidly growing provider of innovative solutions for the electricity and utility industry. Lowfoot enables energy providers to improve customer engagement through analytics and sharing smart meter data in a friendly format, including online and on mobile devices. Lowfoot’s technology gives providers and utilities the ability to influence and shift peak energy usage and is deployable anywhere. Lowfoot currently has active consumer participation in Canada, Texas, California and Europe. For more information, visit us at www.lowfoot.com.
