Lehighton Area School District is considering a power curtailment program that could net at least $6,000 a year.

Under the PJM Capacity Demand Response Program, the district would be asked to reduce its power load for a one-hour period during critical events, such as a severe winter or summer storm, power surges or blackout situations. Even if there were no “events,” the district would dump power during a one-hour test period each year.

“If there was a power surge or a blackout in one of the major cities and there is a requirement for power, they ask participants to dump their power, so it can be diverted to that area,” LASD Business Administrator Ed Rarick told the board last week. “If Lehighton can dump 25% of its power in its high school, middle school and elementary center, they would pay $6,352 for an hour of time.”

Lehighton borough is a member of American Municipal Power, a nonprofit corporation that owns and operates electric facilities with the purpose of providing generation, transmission and distribution of electric power and energy to its members.

In 2014, CPower was chosen by AMP to offer demand response services to municipalities that opt into the program, and the agreement was recently renewed to extend through the 2021-24 program year. For the current 2020-21 program year, participants served by member municipalities will earn a combined $575,000.

“This comes at no cost to the district,” Rarick said. “They would analyze our systems and tell us the best way to achieve dumping power. So essentially if there were a test event scheduled during the summer, we would adjust our HVAC levels to meet the condition. Turning that temperature maybe 10 degrees either way depending on what time of year it is could achieve that 25% dump.”

There has not been an actual event, outside of the one-hour tests, since 2013.

“If we do not achieve the power dump, it is no cost to the district,” Rarick said. “It’s basically a win-win. It’s a quick and easy way to add some money back to the district. We could participate in the winter and summer program and you would get dual benefits. Usually, if there is an event in the winter, it is a snow event and schools are not open anyway.”

The district tabled further discussion until its Dec. 20 board meeting to have additional time to review the proposal.

Director Barbara Bowes said she wants to ensure there would be no risks to the district, such as damage to the gym floors due to condensation or freezing pipes due to the change in power usage.

“I want to make sure it won’t cost us more than what we would be receiving in the long run to fix things as a result of doing this,” she said.

Rarick said there would not be a time when the district was asked to dump power for more than an hour.

The district has to sign up by March, he said, to be enrolled for the 2022 summer program, which would commence on June 1.