With Demand Increasing, Utility Starts To Deal

JAY LINDSAY

MARSHFIELD, Mass. (AP) — Len Bicknell angled his new garage toward the sun two decades ago, making room for the solar panels he planned to slap on top. He couldn't afford the expensive panels until several months ago, however, when the company with seemingly the most to gain from big electric bills stepped in to help pay for them.

NStar, like other utilities, is confronting soaring demand for energy and has launched an aggressive effort in one little seaside town to find ways to ease that pressure, doling out money for solar panels, "smart" thermostats and energy audits to cut power usage by 8 percent during peak hours.

If it fails, it may be forced to spend millions upgrading substations.

As part of its two-year project, NStar helps residents of Marshfield purchase solar panels, offers free energy audits and installs "smart" thermostats that the utility can remotely control and rein in air conditioner use.

For Bicknell, who couldn't afford the $30,000 solar system, participation was a no-brainer. NStar's program and tax credits helped knock down the cost to about $10,000. Since he installed them in September, they've pushed his NStar meter backward at times, generating more power than NStar is supplying.