The more you know: Louisiana’s peak energy usage occurs in winter

Other factors include closing school and work from home. Using more energy with all the lights, TVs, etc. being used.

I, too, have gas heaters fwiw.

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I have gas (lol) heaters

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In Ascension parish if I crank up the central heat a few days in a month it'll add $15 to my lectric bill.

If I run my gas fire place for 20 minutes a day for a few days it'll add $30 to my Atmos gas bill.

frickin fricks.

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Yeah well my highest bill in summer is $1200 and my highest bill in winter is $700

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You should move.

When you think about it, it makes sense. Heating is extremely inefficient.

Because electric heating is Fn stupid.

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Reversible heat pump AC systems are the way in warm weather areas like Louisiana. Just as effective, vastly more efficient, and no burning dust smell the first time you fire it up for the year like you get with resistive heating.

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Yep. The next unit I get will be a heat pump. Also looking at heat pump water heaters.

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Got a link? The peak usage determines how much capacity needs to be built, which is of course reflected in rates. But I've never heard of rates being adjusted based on the annual peak.

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I work in IT for power companies. 12+ years of experience. There are strict rules for changes being made during the winter months even more so than the summer months for this reason. Rules put in place both by the private companies and the market regulator (MISO in this case).

Cleco’s contracts with co-ops have the stipulation that the rate be adjusted for this peak and the co-op will eventually have to push that cost to the customers. Entergy has similar contracts with large industrial plants who require their own contracts for power supply. When Entergy and Cleco go to the LPSC to ask for rate increases for customers outside of co-ops/industrial, this winter peak is the main part of their pitch as they are required (as you said) to maintain that generation capacity per regulations.

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That peak usage is a main factor in calculating the rate for the entire year here in LA

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Are crawfish farmers running Entergy now?

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I work in IT for power companies. 12+ years of experience. There are strict rules for changes being made during the winter months even more so than the summer months for this reason. Rules put in place both by the private companies and the market regulator (MISO in this case).

Cleco’s contracts with co-ops have the stipulation that the rate be adjusted for this peak and the co-op will eventually have to push that cost to the customers. Entergy has similar contracts with large industrial plants who require their own contracts for power supply. When Entergy and Cleco go to the LPSC to ask for rate increases for customers outside of co-ops/industrial, this winter peak is the main part of their pitch as they are required (as you said) to maintain that generation capacity per regulations.

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Gotcha.

So a follow-up question: since overbuilding capacity can be wasteful, does the topic of incentivizing heat pumps rather than resistive furnaces come up?