[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 168 (Wednesday, October 10, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S6772]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE RESOLUTION 672--EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF CONGRESS THAT ELECTRIC 
     COOPERATIVE VOLUNTARY ENERGY REDUCTION PROGRAMS REDUCE ENERGY 
                CONSUMPTION AND SAVE PARTICIPANTS MONEY

  Mr. COONS (for himself and Mr. Gardner) submitted the following 
resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 672

       Whereas ``Beat the Peak'' is an electric cooperative 
     voluntary energy reduction program that saves participants 
     money and encourages reduced energy usage by notifying 
     participants of periods of peak energy consumption;
       Whereas participants in electric cooperative voluntary 
     energy reduction programs such as ``Beat the Peak''--
       (1) receive alerts during periods of peak energy usage when 
     the price for energy is expected to be high; and
       (2) have the opportunity to decrease power usage when 
     demand and price are at the highest level;
       Whereas participation in electric cooperative voluntary 
     energy reduction programs reduces energy costs for all 
     cooperative members;
       Whereas electric cooperatives are nonprofit utilities that 
     transfer cost savings directly to cooperative members;
       Whereas the 4 hottest summers on record have occurred 
     during the 5-year period preceding the date of enactment of 
     this resolution;
       Whereas extreme temperatures produce sustained peak energy 
     prices in competitive wholesale electricity markets;
       Whereas electric cooperatives work to provide rural areas 
     in the United States with safe, reliable, and affordable 
     electricity;
       Whereas electric cooperatives operate 833 electric 
     distribution centers and 62 electric generation and 
     transmission facilities;
       Whereas electric cooperatives provide power to 42,000,000 
     people in the United States and cover 56 percent of the 
     landmass of the United States;
       Whereas Delaware Electric Cooperative, the first electric 
     cooperative to create a ``Beat the Peak'' program, has saved 
     members $27,000,000 over the 10-year period preceding the 
     date of enactment of this resolution and is on track to save 
     members $2,300,000 in 2018;
       Whereas over 90 electric cooperatives across the United 
     States offer ``Beat the Peak'' demand response programs; and
       Whereas increased awareness of electric cooperative 
     voluntary energy reduction programs may result in many more 
     electric cooperatives adopting and offering those programs: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) celebrates the economic and conservation benefits of 
     electric cooperative voluntary energy reduction programs such 
     as ``Beat the Peak'';
       (2) recognizes that voluntary energy reduction programs 
     reduce energy usage, help the environment, and save money;
       (3) encourages electric cooperatives across the United 
     States--
       (A) to adopt voluntary energy reduction programs such as 
     ``Beat the Peak''; and
       (B) to promote those programs to members; and
       (4) commends electric cooperatives that offer and support 
     voluntary energy reduction programs.

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