Josh Gale, operations manager, City of Medicine Hat, electric generation department. (Photo Courtesy of Ross Lavigne)

By Chris Brown

Handling the heat

Medicine Hat power plant cool during heatwave

Jul 31, 2020 | 2:34 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Medicine Hat’s power plant can, in fact, stand the heat

Hatters have been sweating through heat warnings and temperatures in the mid-30s for close to two weeks.

That’s had them cranking the AC to stay cool, which means a little extra strain on the city’s power plant. But it’s nothing the plant can’t handle.

The city is well equipped for the current conditions and is generating enough excess power that it’s been able to sell to the provincial grid, says Josh Gale, operations manager, City of Medicine Hat electric generation department.

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“The City of Medicine Hat powerplant can generate about 255 megawatts of electricity so our peak demand within the city is around 180 megawatts currently. So we’re well prepared to handle any additional demand requirements that might come up,” he said.

Gale adds that right now the city is exporting around 30 megawatts of electricity to the Alberta grid overnight and up to 70 in the afternoon as peak demand increases.

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