As Phoenix, Ariz., set new records for the hottest August day, Arizona public power utility Salt River Project, too, delivered a record-breaking amount of energy to its customers, SRP reported on Aug. 8.
Based on preliminary information, on Thursday, August 7, between 3 and 4 p.m., SRP reached a new system peak load of 8,542 megawatts (MW).
On Wednesday, August 6, the company achieved a peak load of 8,429 between 3 and 4 p.m., surpassing the previous record peak of 8,361 MW set on July 9.
The increase in energy demand is attributed to several factors, including extreme temperatures and continued customer growth. The high temperatures recorded on August 6 and 7 were 116 and 118 degrees, respectively.
“Meeting these increasingly high loads is a result of careful planning by teams across SRP to ensure we have enough generating resources available,” said Pam Syrjala, SRP Senior Director of Supply and Trading. “SRP’s diverse mix of energy, including solar, natural gas, batteries, wind and hydro power were all utilized to help us maintain reliability.”
SRP also used its residential and commercial demand response programs to reduce customer energy use during the hottest times of the day and help support grid reliability.
SRP noted its customers can find a variety of energy efficiency tips and tools to lower their energy use and sign up for SRP’s Bring Your Own Thermostat demand response program by visiting savewithsrp.com.
SRP also offers a variety of customer assistance options and resources that can help customers manage electricity costs during the summer months.
