PSE&G Joins 'Green Circuits' Industry Effort to Boost Energy Efficiency of Electric...

PSE&G Joins 'Green Circuits' Industry Effort to Boost Energy Efficiency of
Electric Delivery Systems

NEWARK, N.J., March 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Public Service Electric
and Gas Co. (PSE&G) has announced that it will play a leading role in the
research and development of "green circuits," an initiative aimed at improving
energy efficiency in the electric distribution system. New Jersey's largest
utility has informed the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) that it will
support its Green Circuit Initiative, an 18-month research and development
project.
"PSE&G is pleased to play a leading role in research and development of
technologies that meet the challenges of how we produce and efficiently
distribute electricity while enabling our customers to better manage energy,"
said Ralph LaRossa, president and COO of PSE&G. "This initiative is an
important contribution to reducing the sector's carbon footprint, and, at the
same time, ensuring that we continue to meet the growing demand for
electricity."
Earlier this year, PSE&G hosted one of four EPRI green circuits workshops
held across the country to discuss the goals and scope of such a study. The
PSE&G meeting attracted about 40 participants from 12 utilities. The initial
goal is to develop technology applications to reduce the loss of electricity
that typically flows through distribution lines supplying power to
residential, commercial and industrial customers. The initiative will later
address energy efficiency improvements in transmission.
The utility's participation in the "green circuits" initiative complements
a number of other steps PSE&G has taken to help the state achieve its
aggressive energy conservation and renewable energy goals. The company has
already begun to reduce carbon emissions by replacing 1,300 company vehicles
with hybrids, and by installing more energy efficient electric delivery
equipment such as transformers and electric wires. PSE&G filed a proposal with
the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to invest more than $100
million during the next two years to help finance the installation of solar
systems on homes, business and municipal buildings. The company also proposed
to provide energy-saving measures such as home energy audits, programmable
thermostats, attic insulation and high-efficiency lighting upgrades through
the implementation of six pilot programs. Both filings are under review by the
BPU.
PSE&G and the other participating utilities will participate in
distribution line field tests that will quantify the costs, benefits and risks
of using various line-loss mitigation technologies. The field tests, which
will include substations, represent a departure from past practices of
detecting line losses through modeling analysis.
"We will benefit from additional technical and cost information to
understand better how we can increase the efficiency of transmission and
distribution systems, and PSE&G is among the industry leaders in addressing
this issue," said Arshad Mansoor, EPRI's vice president of Power Delivery and
Utilization. "The green circuits initiative will develop technical priorities
that can move the entire electricity sector to a more efficient system."
EPRI expects to have the cooperation of 40 utilities during the 18-month
project. Data suggests that if the electricity distribution system alone can
be made 10 percent more efficient it would be the equivalent of the entire
installed capacity of wind generation in the United States in 2006.
About PSE&G
Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G) is New Jersey's oldest and
largest regulated gas and electric delivery utility, serving nearly
three-quarters of the state's population. PSE&G is the winner of the
ReliabilityOne Award for superior electric system reliability. PSE&G is a
subsidiary of Public Service Enterprise Group Incorporated (PSEG) (NYSE: PEG),
a diversified energy company (www.pseg.com).
About EPRI:
The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) leads research, development
and demonstration of technical and operational solutions in electricity
generation, delivery and use. The focus and application of EPRI's research and
activities span virtually every aspect of the power industry, including
reliability, safety, the environment, and energy efficiency. The Institute's
collaborative model engages EPRI members, participants, scientists and
engineers, along with experts from academia and other business sectors. As an
independent, nonprofit center for public-interest energy and environmental
research, EPRI's work is supported both by its members, which represent more
than 90 percent of the electricity generated in the United States, and by
growing international participation, representing more than 15% of EPRI's
program support.
SOURCE Public Service Electric and Gas Co. (PSE&G)

Karen Johnson, PSE&G, +1-973-430-7734; Clay Perry, EPRI, +1-202-293-6184