Saving electricity with CFL, LED

[Ferrocyanide]

Technically, utilities do not have to cut staff, overhead or existing equipment when electricity demand decreases, if the utility commission allows them to pass the cost of staff, overhead and existing equipment to the rate payers. It cost them less to procure or generate the power required to meet demand, so only that portion of your rates will go down. Other parts will stay the same, but the total will go down.

However, realistically, public utility commission is subject to public and rate payer pressure,  so the utility will also come under pressure to reduce staff and overhead if total electric demand goes down.

If we switch from incandescent to CFL or LED and that allows them to reduce staff and maybe shutdown 1 generator (coal burner + generator), then logically, I would be saving $$$.
But if they don’t do that, they simply have a reduced input of $$$$ from the consumer and they will have to either accept the loss or raise prices.

In the case of Hydro power, the turbines and generators are already built. The water flow is free (In the case of coal, it takes human labor to bring the coal to the plant).
They can shut the door which stops the water from turning the turbine but what’s the point? That doesn’t reduce operating cost for the Hydro plant.

When CFL and LED bulbs advertise that I will save $$$$ by using these bulbs, I am not sure if that is true.
There are employees, there is equipment and power lines to maintain. The water flow is free. I don’t think the Hydro plant would be able to reduce staff.

That’s not how it works. Hydro energy is a limited asset. Only so much water comes down the river each year. And the existing transmission network can only carry so much of the power out of Quebec to where there is external demand for it. HQ is selling all it can generate and the transmission system will carry at the market prices. Selling it for cheaper will not create additional hydro energy out of thin air for them sell.

I’m not sure I understand what that has to do with being eco-friendly.
Looks like they are going to place a transmission line.

Source:
https://poststar.com/news/local/guest-es...1b76b.html

As noted, CHPE engineers have developed an innovative plan to bury the transmission lines for the entire length of the project.

It also looks like for profit business plan:

Part of the electricity delivered from Quebec to New York comes from the Apuiat wind project, in which the Innu community is a shareholder. Hydro-Québec has also partnered with the Mohawks of Kahnawake, who will be co-owners of the Quebec portion of the new transmission line.

^^^^^It’s a business. It has nothing to do with hydro power being a limited resource.