The North Penn School District is joining the Demand Response Program this summer. That means it will reduce its electricity use by a megawatt during peak periods from June through September, easing the strain on the grid that provides power for the Mid-Atlantic States.  Support Services Manager John Strobel says it can make a difference, even though school is out for most of that four-month period.

“We’re still using energy.  Our buildings are operating.  We still have things going on, so if we curtail at that time we can take a little bit of the load off the grid and get paid for it.”

The electric grid operators will pay North Penn $175,000 dollars during its first three years in the program.  The district will pay a consultant 15 percent of that for help in managing energy consumption.