STAMFORD, Conn. (AP) – Businesses are relying on their own sources of power as demand for electricity surges in southwestern Connecticut.

Most large companies in Stamford already own generators or have access to them, said Michael Friemuth, the city’s economic development director.

“It’s fundamental,” he said.

Federal rules already require financial companies to operate emergency generators to prevent the loss of data, said Joseph McGee, vice president for public policy at the Business Council of Fairfield County.

Robert Henry, director of facilities engineering at Purdue Pharma in Stamford, where UBS Investment Bank, the Switzerland-based financial services business is leasing space, said the bank is installing generators.

Connecticut Light & Power cut electricity Aug. 3 to thousands of customers in downtown Stamford when extreme heat damaged underground power lines.

Purdue Pharma, which was among the companies that lost power, switched on three generators. Two of Purdue Pharma’s generators are in place to address “life and safety” concerns for employees, Henry said.

The third provides backup power for its data center and air conditioning unit.

But because the generators could not produce enough power for the company to continue its office operations without assistance from the grid, Purdue sent employees home.

Pitney Bowes also relied on its generator Aug. 2 to keep operations going at its headquarters on Elmcroft Road in Stamford.

“We’re relying on backup generation for the short-term,” said Jeff Jacobson, vice president of transactional finance and coordinator of the energy task force at Pitney Bowes.

Companies that do not have their own source of emergency power have agreements with providers such as GE Energy Rentals that supplies generators for periods of one week or longer.

A generator that produces 1.4 megawatts can cost about $20,000 for rent, fuel and shipping costs.

Purchasing a generator costs about $250,000.

“It costs dramatically more to use standby power than regular power,” said Christopher Bruhl, president of the Fairfield County Business Council. “But it outweighs the cost of being down.”

The need for emergency service on Aug. 2 was brief enough that companies did not experience a “crippling cost,” he said.

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Information from: The Advocate, http://www.stamfordadvocate.com

AP-ES-08-20-06 1351EDT