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Uncomfortable Heat Leads To Record Power Usage In Phoenix Area

By Katherine Fritcke
Published: Tuesday, June 21, 2016 - 2:01pm
Updated: Wednesday, June 22, 2016 - 9:11am
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Sky Schaudt/KJZZ
Hot thermometer.

The uncomfortably high temperatures are leading more people to turn their air conditioners on high. That means energy consumption is up.

With record high temperatures on Sunday, Salt River Project (SRP) saw an all-time record for peak energy use.

Jeff Lane, a spokesperson for SRP, said customers used 6,873 megawatts of power that day. It's unusual to have peak demand set on weekend. A megawatt powers about 200 to 250 Valley homes.

“Because businesses are often closed on the weekends, and that takes a little bit of the load off our systems," Lane said.  "But, still the temperatures, the higher overnight low temperatures — that all kind of adds to the demand."

Lane also said it’s early for record energy consumption to occur. Records are more often broken later in the monsoon season.

Arizona Public Service said the utility registered high usage, but no records were set. 

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