Alberta sets new record for summer electricity use

The record power demand came one day after the AESO had briefly declared a grid alert Monday evening. Grid alerts are issued with the power system is under stress and they are preparing to use emergency reserves to meet demand.

The AESO says the peak hours of electricity use are typically between 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Especially during those times, officials recommend taking the following steps to preserve power:

Turn off unnecessary lights and electrical appliances
Minimize the use of air conditioning/space heaters
Delay the use of major power-consuming appliances such as washers, dryers and dishwashers until after peak hours
Use cold water for washing clothes—most of the energy used goes to heating the water (only running full loads helps too)
Delay charging electric vehicles and/or plugging in block heaters
Cook with your microwave, crockpot or toaster oven instead of the stove
Limit the use of kitchen or bathroom ventilation fans
Use motion-detector lights in storage areas, garages, and outdoors when possible
Work on a laptop instead of a desktop computer (laptops are more energy-efficient than desktop units)

We hit a new all-time summer peak record July 9, 2024 of 11,820 megawatts! The previous summer record was 11,721 MW set on June 29, 2021. The grid is in good shape, but energy conservation always helps. https://t.co/TDfWaQOgJp pic.twitter.com/ZZMGlBNEjL

— AESO (@theAESO) July 10, 2024

All of Alberta remains under a heat warning with temperatures in many areas hitting maximums of 37 degrees Celsius.

The increased power use can also be the result of high population growth as Alberta added 202,324 residents in 2023.

by David Opinko

Alberta sets new record for summer electricity use

Our Community