Green Newton

On very hot days, there’s the highest demand for air conditioning that will lead to extra pollution. To fill the increased electric demand on peak days, the grid must turn on “peaker” power plants. Peaker power plants are often old, dirty, and incredibly expensive to operate. They run primarily on natural gas and oil. Lowering usage between 4-8pm  means reducing the amount of fossil fuels emitted. Let’s all save energy from 4-8pm to help clean up our grid.

What to do at 4pm:

1. Use less AC – Pre-cool beforehand and turn it off at 4. Use fans & close blinds. If you can’t turn it off, even turning the air conditioning up a few degrees helps.
2. Don’t do the laundry. If you do, wash in cold water.
3. Don’t run the dishwasher.
4. If you have an electric car, don’t charge. Instead, schedule your charging session for 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. Avoid peak times!

Thanks for taking steps to clean up our electric grid! Stay cool!