We Should Stop Wasting Power Before We Build More

America is scrambling to find enough electricity to power a surge of new data centers and other growing demands. Utilities are proposing new power plants. Fossil fuel companies see an opportunity to build more gas infrastructure.

But before we build more power plants, there is an obvious question: How much electricity are we already wasting?

One surprisingly big answer is hiding inside millions of motors that run fans, pumps, compressors, and other equipment in factories and commercial buildings.

These motors consume an enormous amount of electricity. Yet many motor systems use far more power than necessary. A proven technology called a variable frequency drive, or VFD, allows motors to adjust their speed to match demand rather than running harder than needed — dramatically reducing electricity use.

The technology isn't experimental. It is already available and in use today. But according to Canary Media, only about 16% of industrial motor systems and just 4% of commercial-sector motors use VFDs.

That is a massive missed opportunity.

At the same time, senators are proposing changes to longstanding environmental safeguards as part of an effort to speed up permitting and bring more energy infrastructure online. Before weakening protections in the rush for more power, we should be doing far more to eliminate the electricity waste already built into our economy.

One industry estimate cited by Canary Media suggests widespread VFD adoption could free up enough electricity to accommodate as much as five years of projected U.S. data-center growth without adding new power generation.

And the savings aren't just theoretical. Toyota reportedly spent about $1.25 million installing VFDs at its Georgetown, Kentucky, plant and ultimately saved more than $700,000 a year in electricity costs.

The Department of Energy has the tools to help bring this technology into much wider use.

Instead of treating ever-rising electricity demand as an excuse to build more fossil-fueled power plants, DOE should make eliminating needless energy waste a national priority.

Tell Energy Secretary Chris Wright and the Department of Energy to accelerate deployment of variable frequency drives and other proven motor-efficiency technologies through strong efficiency standards, incentives, technical assistance, utility partnerships, and federal leadership.

The petition to Energy Secretary Chris Wright reads: Make cutting electricity waste a first step in meeting America's growing power needs. Use the Department of Energy's authority and resources to accelerate deployment of variable frequency drives and other proven motor-efficiency technologies nationwide.

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Source:

https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/energy-efficiency/hidden-device-free-up-gigawatts-grid