SaskPower says cold temperatures brought a new record for power use in Saskatchewan.
A new peak load of 3,710 megawatts (MW) was set at 5:24 p.m. CT on Monday.
READ MORE: Sask. reserve could see $1B benefit from hydro-electric project
This is the second peak load set by the province this year, surpassing the Jan. 12 record by 70 MW.
“We want to make sure our customers have the safe and reliable power they depend on,” SaskPower president and CEO Mike Marsh said.
“That’s why we are working to bring new generation to our fleet, such as Chinook Power Station. We also want to make sure we meet this growing need for power in a sustainable way, and that’s why future demand records will be increasingly met by more renewable power as we double our renewable sources by 2030.”
READ MORE: Winterizing your home: tips on what to check during the Saskatchewan deep freeze
SaskPower peak records were also set twice in 2015.
Officials with the Crown corporation said its 500,000 customers can save on power and money by lowering the temperature in their homes, especially when vacant. A single degree lower over an eight‐hour period could save as much as two per cent on heating costs.