Industrial Users Seek to Reduce Costs While Managing Risks

Industrial Customers are Focusing More on Their Energy Use…
A few years ago, most industrial customers thought deregulation and retail wheeling were just around the corner and would result in significant savings on energy costs. While some states have deregulated, the savings are not always large or the new energy supply easy to manage. These days, industrial customers are focusing more on how they use energy: Meanwhile, reliability problems and commodity price swings (e.g. California) make the job of managing the risks inherent in energy supply more difficult.

…With Fewer Resources
In meeting their energy supply needs, energy managers face a number of hurdles: such as limited information on how energy is used in the facility, competition for scarce capital and operating funds and increasing reliability and environmental requirements, with a limited appreciation of management of the difficulties involved. And all this must be dealt with given limited management time and complicated labor relations.

Managing Energy Usage is a Complex Undertaking
Managing energy costs is a complex undertaking, in part, because plant processes and facilities use electricity as dictated by the process need, not necessarily to achieve the greatest efficiency in energy use or the lowest energy cost.

There are also interrelationships between electricity use, and other energy use such as steam, and chilled water, natural gas, and compressed air. Because of the complexity of energy projects, decision making in the best of times becomes particularly difficult.

Energy use is important but not a core activity. Deregulation raised hopes but in much of the US is still not implemented and has not delivered expected savings elsewhere.

We can help you understand your energy usage needs, and your requirements for a reliable energy supply.