Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. announced an alert system that is designed to warn Utahns when the state's power grid is under particular strain.

The system, called Power Forward, includes a color code most people recognize from traffic signals: green means to go ahead and use electricity wisely, yellow to slow down or decrease energy use and red to stop using electricity on anything not absolutely necessary.

"Along the Wasatch Front, I don't believe we have ever had a red day," said Rick Sprott, director of the Utah Division of Air Quality. "That means there is some kind of failure or imminent failure."

Sprott said the green, yellow and red designations will be made according to current energy use throughout Utah's metropolitan area and usage forecasts throughout the day, which are based largely on rising temperatures.

He said a major component of the exponential increase in Utah's energy use is the conversion of Utah homes from swamp coolers to power-hungry air conditioning systems. Air conditioners use significantly more electricity than fans and swamp coolers do, so when multiplied by the thousands of homes that have made the upgrade, the difference is putting Utah in a worrisome energy pinch.

Sprott said there are three major reasons Power Forward is being instituted in Utah. The program is meant to prevent outages, save consumer dollars and protect the environment.

Sprott said the electricity infrastructure can only produce a finite amount of electricity in a single day. When consumers try to push that limit, the energy grid becomes prone to malfunctions and outages. Prolonged strain on the power grid could result in the type of "rolling blackouts" that occurred in California preceding the election of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Sprott explained when Utahns use more electricity than the grid has access to, utility companies buy electricity from other providers at a very high rate. That expense is then passed on to consumers, he said.

High energy consumption also takes its toll on the environment. "Peaking units" that are used to supplement the energy supply during high usage periods burn natural gas, Sprott said. The pollutants produced by these units create ozone material that contributes to the growing threat of global warming.

Margaret Oler, spokeswoman for Utah Power, said Utah's energy use is growing at twice the state's overall growth rate. The emissions released during the production of energy can be just as harmful as car exhaust, so a reduction in electricity use is like taking cars off the road.

The kickoff of Power Forward was timed to influence consumer behavior during the hot summer months. Glade Sowards, energy program coordinator for the Department of Air Quality, encouraged Utah residents to be aware of their energy use in a press release.

"We are simply asking consumers to be aware of those times during the day when energy conservation efforts will have the biggest impact," he said. "If everyone helps out even just a little, the benefits can be significant on the electrical system as a whole."

Green Days:

Consumers are encouraged to turn off lights, appliances, and electronic equipment when not in use.

Yellow Days:

Consumers are encouraged to reduce their electricity use as much as possible during the peak hours from noon to 8 p.m.

Red Days:

Consumers should voluntarily reduce their consumption of electricity to avoid involuntary outages.

General Tips:

- Replace incandescent light bulbs with CFL bulbs.

- Set air conditioning thermostats to a higher setting.

-Use dimmers, motion sensors, or timing devices on appropriate light fixtures.

- Use "energy-saving" settings on all appliances.

- Run your dishwasher and laundry equipment only when fully loaded.

Copyright Brigham Young University 1 Jun 2006