Norfolk Fruit Growers: Saving Over $1,090,000 Through Strategic Energy Curtailment
- Location
Ontario, Canada
- Global Adjustment Class
A Class
- Program
Industrial Conservation Initiative (ICI)
The Norfolk Fruit Growers’ Association is a grower-owned cooperative in Simcoe, Ontario, bringing the best of Ontario apples to market since 1906. Its cold storage and packing facilities run year-round, making electricity one of its largest and most variable operating costs. With Active Business Services (ABS), Norfolk Fruit Growers has used the Industrial Conservation Initiative (ICI) to take control of rising Global Adjustment (GA) costs and turn a major expense into a lasting source of savings.
After our very first curtailment season, Norfolk Fruit Growers achieved an 89% load reduction on four of the top five peak events, far exceeding their original 30% target.
Norfolk Fruit Growers’ Association ICI participant since 2020
The Challenge
Rising and unpredictable Global Adjustment costs were straining margins across Ontario’s agricultural and food storage sector. Norfolk Fruit Growers weren’t aware they were eligible for Class A treatment under the ICI, leaving them on Class B rates with no way to control one of their largest costs. When curtailment was first raised, the team expected to trim load by only about 30% during peak events and doubted the program would move the needle.
The Solution
ABS identified that Norfolk Fruit Growers qualified for the Industrial Conservation Initiative (ICI) and helped them opt into the program for the first time in June 2020. From there, ABS deployed peak notification services and load response strategies, helping the team forecast and curtail load around Ontario’s top 5 peak demand hours each year, which is how Class A Global Adjustment charges are calculated. What began as a cautious 30% target became one of the strongest curtailment programs ABS supports, delivering deep, repeatable savings season after season.
The Result
$1,090,088 Saved in Global Adjustment costs since 2020
85% Average load reduction during ICI peak events
2.13 MW Average annual curtailment during top 5 peaks
Across five consecutive curtailment seasons, Norfolk Fruit Growers has consistently captured the majority of available Global Adjustment savings:
Five seasons in, ICI participation has become a core part of how Norfolk Fruit Growers manages operating costs, protecting margins in a capital-intensive, energy-dependent business while supporting a more sustainable provincial grid.
Curtailment in Action
Each season, ABS works with Norfolk Fruit Growers to forecast peak events and curtail load during the hours that drive Class A Global Adjustment charges.
Advancing sustainability, together
Norfolk Fruit Growers’ curtailment efforts deliver impact well beyond their bottom line. By reducing demand during Ontario’s highest-demand hours, they help ease strain on the provincial grid – lowering reliance on natural gas peaker generation, reducing GHG emissions, and easing the pressure to build new power infrastructure. ABS is proud to support their continued growth and commitment to a stronger, cleaner Ontario grid.