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Alberta reaches new summer high for electricity use

EDMONTON – On Wednesday, Alberta reached a new summer peak for electricity demand, using 10,141 megawatts.

The previous high was 10,063 MW in July 2013.

The Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO) was tracking the use Wednesday as the demand continued to climb.

Temperatures hovered around 28 degrees in the Edmonton area Wednesday afternoon.

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While they are expected to be lower Thursday, highs could reach 30 degrees on the weekend. And even with the upcoming warm stretch, AESO isn’t anticipating any problems.

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“We definitely keep a close eye on the electricity grid and make sure everything’s working properly. And in this case, we have no concerns,” said Angela Anderson, external relations advisor with the AESO.

“We have no concerns for the grid as it stands for the next few days. Something unexpected can always happen, but at this point we don’t have any concerns.”

While Wednesday’s electricity demand was high, Anderson says the winter peak for electricity demand is around 11,139 megawatts.

For a full weather forecast, visit our weather page.

The AESO runs Alberta’s power grid and competitive market.

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