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Do you think power rates in Guam are affordable? (Poll Closed)

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Total Votes: 553
5 Comments

  • John - 8 years ago

    Redacted post:

    The GPA electric rates are lower than Hawaiian utility rates. You need to match up the rates during the same period of time as they, GPA and Hawaiian rates, fluctuate with Fuel costs. The Oahu rates are the closest to GPA's rates. The other Hawaiian islands pay substantially more than GPA customers per KWH.

    I do agree that GPA needs to do a better job with power quality. GPA must implement Automatic Generation Control, Implement contingency and frequency regulating energy storage systems. One of the problems with GPA is that it is a low inertia grid as typical with island grids. Generators are over-sized with respect to the system demand. When units trip this drives system frequency down, creates transient voltage surges and sags through out the system as the system seeks to rebalance generation versus loads. Many of the short duration outages about 40% of customers experience are under frequency load shedding events. If there is a immediate shortfall of generation, generators on what is called droop, respond to pick up the lost generation. However, the cannot respond quick enough to restore the generation versus load balance. Therefore, automatic relays trigger load shedding.

    Additionally as more net metering systems are installed on distribution feeders, in the experience of Hawaiian Electric and other Hawaiian utilities, voltage problems are exacerbated whenever cloud cover shadows these PV systems. There is not significant geographical diversity of these systems to completely "average out" the output swings of PV. In my conversations with Hawaii renewable energy integrate folks, PV on their system swing such that 65 to 85% of the PV net metering systems swing together. Therefore, GPA must look at installing new technology to smooth out these affects.

    The base load generation is over sized because they are more efficient than similar smaller capacity units. So they save money by producing power more efficiency, but there are trade offs for this course of action.

    GPA has a Phase I Energy Storage System project to help with these issues. Its new generation project will replace older more expensive producers of energy with more efficient, more flexible generation. Flexible generation is more responsive to handle additions of intermittent renewable energy generation and fluctuations of generation and load.

    GPA is also executing a smart grid analytics program to improve power quality. These analytics applications build upon the smart grid systems GPA installed under a $16.6 MM federal grant.

    If you have any questions about my post. You should contact GPA's Communication Manager at aperez@gpagwa.com. This post is not an official GPA post.

  • John - 8 years ago

    The GPA electric rates are lower than Hawaiian utility rates. You need to match up the rates during the same period of time as they GPA and Hawaiian fluctuate with Fuel costs. The Oahu rates are the closest to GPA's rates. The other Hawaiian islands pay substantially more than GPA customers per KWH.

    I do agree that GPA needs to do a better job with power quality. GPA must implement Automatic Generation Control, Implement contingency and frequency regulating energy storage systems. One of the problems with GPA is that it is a low inertia grid as typical with island grids. Generators are over-sized with respect to the system demand. When units trip this drives system frequency down, creates transient voltage surges and sags through out the system as the system seeks to rebalance generation versus loads. Many of the short duration outages about 40% of customers experience are under frequency load shedding events. If there is a immediate shortfall of generation, generators on what is called droop, respond to pick up the lost generation. However, the cannot respond quick enough to restore the generation versus load balance. Therefore, automatic relays trigger load shedding.

    Additionally as more net metering systems are installed on distribution feeders, in the experience of Hawaiian Electric and other Hawaiian utilities, voltage problems are exacerbated whenever cloud cover shadows these PV systems. there is not significant geographical diversity of these systems to completely "average out" the output swings of PV. In my conversations with Hawaii renewable energy integrate folks, PV on their system swing together such that 65 to 85% of the PV net metering systems swing together. Therefore, GPA must look at installing new technology to smooth out these affects.

    The base load generation is over sized because they are more efficient than similar smaller capacity units. So they save money by producing power more efficiency, but there are trade offs for this course of action.

    GPA has a Phase I Energy Storage System project to help with these issues. Its new generation project will replace older more expensive producers of energy with more efficient, more flexible generation. Flexible generation is more responsive to handle additions of intermittent renewable energy generation and fluctuations of generation and load.

    GPA is also executing a smart grid analytics program to improve power quality. These analytics applications build upon the smart grid systems GPA installed under a $16.6 MM federal grant.

    If you have any questions about my post. You should contact GPA's Communication Manager at aperez@gpagwa.com. This post is not an official GPA post.

  • Phil - 8 years ago

    Johnny Watt - You have nailed the unspoken cost of using GPA and that is the shortened lifecycle of everything electrical in your home. GPA has real problems with balanced distribution and the ability of their generators to maintain stable voltage and frequency together.

    Every look at the advertised lifespan of a CFL bulb? You might get a third of that on Guam.

  • Phil - 8 years ago

    Really PDN? They are some of the highest in the nation because we the customer pay for fuel. According to the Energy Information Administration the Pacific, non-Continguous (minus Hawaii) rate is .24/Kwh. According to the GPA website, the GPA rate .26/Kwh.

    https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.cfm?t=epmt_5_6_a

    http://www.opaguam.org/sites/default/files/GPA_CCR11_0.pdf

  • Johnny Watt - 8 years ago

    How can power be affordable when more than 80% of your bill is a fuel charge.. We pay for electricity not for the fuel.. even at a reduced rate for power, with the way the power keeps dropping and peaking which results in damaging electrical equipment and appliances, it is a pain in the keester.. I have lost 3 air conditioners and two freezers due to the inefficiency of the power supply

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