Appalachian Power Customers Set Record for Electricity Usage

Appalachian Power Customers Set Record for Electricity Usage

Dec 24 - Charleston Daily Mail

Appalachian Power customers have set an unofficial all-time peak demand for electricity, the utility said.

The peak demand, 7,100 megawatts, came at 8 a.m. Monday as single- digit temperatures covered the region. Charleston recorded a temperature of 2 degrees Monday morning and temperatures dipped below zero in parts of the state.

Appalachian Power said the prior demand record was 6,908 megawatts, set Feb. 5, 1996.

Appalachian Power provides electricity to one million customers in Virginia, West Virginia and Kingsport, Tenn. Spokeswoman Jeri Matheney said the utility does not have a breakout of demand for just its West Virginia customers.

"Extreme cold temperatures, combined with steady growth in customer consumption of electricity in the Virginia, West Virginia and Tennessee territory served by American Electric Power resulted in the new all-time peak customer demand," Dana Waldo, Appalachian Power president and chief operating officer, said in a prepared statement.

Almost 29,000 Appalachian Power customers were without power Monday morning because of cold weather and high winds. "With few exceptions, all customers had their service restored by midnight," Waldo said.

"Our employees are to be commended for working safely and diligently in these extreme weather conditions, and we thank our customers who experienced interruptions for their patience," Waldo said.

Appalachian Power is a unit of American Electric Power, the nation's largest electricity generator.

American Electric Power has more than five million customers in 11 states

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