Heat pushes Alberta to summer peak power record
This week’s scorching heat pushed electrical demand to a new summer record in Alberta.
The Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO) said the province set a new summer peak record of 11,099 MW Tuesday, July 17 between 4-5 p.m. The previous record, set last year, was 10,852 MW.
AESO spokesperson Dawn Delaney said it’s typical to set a new summer record during July. But we use more power still in the wintertime.
“Lots of additional usage on the grid at this time of year with air conditioners,” Delaney said, “whereas in the winter it’s typically during a sustained cold snap and typically during holiday time when there’s extra lighting load on the grid.”