(ghi^markets.com - Aug. 4, 2005)
 

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Small-scale power outages were reported in Maryland, the nation's capital and Virginia while TVA set big records twice this week with a whopping demand for 31,703 mw on Monday then 31,935 the next day.

The week's long heat wave across much of the US has spiked electricity demand to record levels, according to EEI. For the week ending July 23, generators supplied 95,259 gwh, bettering the old record by more than 5%.

US utilities cranked out a record 90,468 gigawatt hours last week beating the 90,468-gwh record set in August 2002, EEI reports.

PJM broke an eight-day record for peak demand. Atlanta, Cincinnati, New York, Chicago, Philadelphia and Los Angeles have all recorded daily records for power use this month.

Oppressive heat and humidity have played a big role but records are part of an overall trend to greater power use.

Was it just heat? Consolidated Edison, after setting its fourth daily record this summer, attributed some demand to greater use of computers, printers, scanners and cell phone chargers at home and in the office.

Con Ed use surpassed 13,000 mw for the first time in its 123-year history Wednesday Demand has grown nearly 20% over the last decade in Con Ed's footprint. Nearby Connecticut Light & Power used 7,150 mw in its second record in 10 days. California has been spared from rolling blackouts so far this summer thanks to 2,000 mw of new capacity.

Its peak months of August and September lay ahead. Stephen Conant, Energy Security Analysis senior analyst, credited the extra capacity in avoiding Stage Three emergencies, but he warned that older power plants cannot continue to support record loads.

The Golden State, he warned must build new plants to satisfy rising demand and to replace aging plants.

Originally published in Restructuring Today on July 28, 2005

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