| Brian Coughlan doesn't get paid if he can't figure out how to save money for business, industry and local governments.
Mr. Coughlan, an electrical engineer, examines electric bills for errors. If he finds one, he gets half of the money saved. He also evaluates rate structures and recommends ways to reduce utility costs. He gets half of what a company would save over three years.
A Virginia native, Mr. Coughlan, 40, worked for 15 years with Carolina Power & Light Co. before striking out on his own this year. His last position with the company was region engineering and operations manager. He man- aged about 480 people and oversaw an annual budget of more than $32 million.
Two years ago, he directed CP&L's efforts to repair damaged lines and restore power to 792,000 customers after Hurricanes Bertha and Fran pounded the region. Fran inflicted more than $95 million in damage to the company's system and knocked out power to about three- fourths of its customers.
CP&L had to replace 3,000 miles of line, 5,500 poles and 2,800 transformers. It took 11 days and help from 50 other electric companies and contractors.
This year, he decided it was time to make a bold move as states begin to deregulate the electric industry. Mr. Coughlan, who has a master of science in electrical and computer engineering from N.C. State University, foresees much confusion among customers when deregulation occurs. He believes that will lead large customers to seek out consultants to determine how they can save on their electric bills.
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Business, industry and local governments can already save hundreds and thousands of dollars, Mr. Coughlan said, by catching errors made by their utility company and switching rate structures.
CP&L, for example, has 12 business rates and 18 "riders" or conditions that could affect a company's electric bill, he said.
He has determined that the town of Burgaw can save nearly $15,000 a year by switching to a different rate. If the town follows through with his recommendation, he will get half that amount each year for three years and the town pockets the rest. When the three years are up, the town gets all the savings.
Carolina Beach, Clinton, Bald Head Island and Pembroke are other towns he has worked with.
Sometimes there is a trade-off that companies have to consider before switching rate structures.
An industry, for example, might save thousands of dollars year-round by agreeing to stop production during peak demand periods when their utility company makes the request, Mr. Coughlan said. But they must weigh those savings against losses the industry would occur when it stops production, he said.
Mr. Coughlan has more than 700 accounts, meaning individual electric meters. A town or company can have dozens of individual meters that have to be analyzed.
When his head isn't buried up to his eyeballs in electric bills, he coaches his nine-year-old-son's soccer team. He also has two daughters. |
