Duke Energy Carolinas sees record high peak electricity usage
A new summer peak energy usage record for Duke Energy Carolinas was set on July 27, with an electricity usage of 20,671 megawatt-hours by customers in both North and South Carolina for the hour ending at 5 p.m.
“We have sufficient supplies of electricity to meet our customers’ needs, and our technicians are working around the clock to ensure smooth operations at our power plants and along our power lines,” Nelson Peeler, Duke Energy vice president of system planning and operations, said.
The new record beats the previous summertime record of 20,628 megawatt-hours, set on Aug. 8, 2007. The highest Duke Energy Carolinas usage record was set last winter, at 21,202 megawatt-hours on Feb. 20, 2015.
The high usage is attributed to high temperatures. The Carolinas have experienced temperatures of 90 degrees Fahrenheit and higher for the past week. Despite the peak in demand, Duke Energy Carolinas said that it does not anticipate issues meeting consumer demand, but it will closely monitor the grid to ensure energy reliability for its customers throughout the season.
Duke Energy, based in Charlotte, N.C., is one of the largest electric power holding companies and represents a population of approximately 24 million Americans throughout the Southeast and Midwest. It also has facilities across North America and Latin America.
