PHOENIX — For the second time this year, the Valley’s two primary electricity providers met record levels of peak energy demand on Thursday, which was the hottest August day ever recorded in Phoenix.
The mercury at Sky Harbor International Airport, which the National Weather Service (NWS) uses to track temperatures in Phoenix, reached a high of 118 degrees, making history as the city’s hottest August day in 120 years.
What was Salt River Project’s peak energy demand on Aug. 7?
Salt River Project hit a new peak load of 8,542 megawatts (MW) of electricity from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday.
It wasn’t the first time this week SRP’s 1.1 million customers’ energy demands were so high they made history.
On Wednesday, it delivered a max of 8,429 MW, which blew out the previous record peak of 8,361 MW set on July 9.
For context, one of SRP’s megawatts is enough to power around 225 normal homes, according to SRP Senior Director of Supply and Trading Pam Syrjala.
“Meeting these increasingly high loads is a result of careful planning by teams across SRP to ensure we have enough generating resources available,” Syrjala said in a Friday announcement.
What was Arizona Public Service’s peak energy demand on Aug. 7?
Meanwhile, Arizona Public Service (APS) said it provided a record 8,631 MW of energy between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. on the historically hot Thursday.
It was the second day in a row the peak energy demand broke a record this week, as it served its 1.4 million customers 8,534 MW on Wednesday, APS said in a Friday announcement.
For context, one of APS’ megawatts is enough to power around 160 normal homes, according to Ted Geisler, APS President and CEO.
“We have set three peak energy demand records so far this summer, which emphasizes the importance of maintaining reliability through the extreme weather and growing energy use we are experiencing in Arizona,” Geisler said in the announcement.
How many customers get power from APS and SRP?
APS, which is owned by publicly traded Pinnacle West Capital Corp., serves about 1.4 million customers in 11 Arizona counties, making it the state’s largest power provider. The utility’s service area includes a portion of Phoenix along with Valley suburbs to the west and north.
Last month, APS filed an application with the Arizona Corporation Commission to raise rates by 14%.
If it’s approved, the typical residential customer would pay an extra $20 on monthly electric bills by the second half of 2026.
An ongoing extreme heat warning has been extended through the weekend.
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