Alberta eclipses previous summer peak electricity use record Monday

On Monday afternoon, Alberta eclipsed its previous summer peak electricity use record, according to the Alberta Electric System Operator.

AESO said the province was well past 11,000 MW at around 5 p.m., “with demand continuing to climb.”

The previous summer peak record, set Aug. 2, 2019, was 10,822 MW.

EPCOR was reporting a power outage in Edmonton Monday evening affecting about 1,000 customers in the Elsinore neighbourhood due to equipment repair.

AESO asked people to conserve power between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Some electricity conservation tips include:

• Turn off unnecessary lights and electrical appliances
• Minimize the use of air conditioning/space heaters
• Delay the use of major power-consuming appliances such as washers, dryers and dishwashers until after the peak hours of 4 p.m. – 7 p.m.
• Use cold water for washing clothes . Most of the energy used goes to heating the water. Only running full loads helps too
• Cook with your microwave, crockpot or toaster oven instead of the stove
• Limit the use of kitchen or bathroom ventilation fans
• Use motion detector lights in storage areas, garages and outdoors when possible
• Work on a laptop instead of a desktop computer. Laptops are more energy efficient than desktop units

Alberta was in the midst of a “historic” heat wave Monday.

Heat warnings remain posted across B.C. and Alberta, large parts of Saskatchewan, Northwest Territories and a section of Yukon as the weather office forecasts temperatures reaching 40 C in some areas.

Sixty temperature records fell Sunday in B.C., including in the Village of Lytton, where the mercury reached 46.6 C — breaking the all-time Canadian high of 45 C, set in Saskatchewan in 1937.

1:17 What’s behind Western Canada’s historic heat wave?

Environment Canada warns the “prolonged, dangerous, and historic heat wave” could ease as early as Tuesday on B.C.’s south coast and in Yukon, but won’t relent until mid-week, or early next week, elsewhere.