Texas utility experiences peak demand record

El Paso Electric Company (EPE) officials said the utility’s customers recently established a new peak demand mark higher than the one set in June 2017.

The EPE said the record of approximately 1,986 megawatts (MW) is 2.9 percent or 57 MW higher.

“Over the last two years, since we previously experienced a record-breaking peak, our customer base has grown by more than 11,000 customers,” Adrian J. Rodriguez, EPE interim CEO, said. “While the growth and development of our service region is an exciting trajectory, we are consistently managing our infrastructure and measuring the need for additional energy production and delivery to meet customer demand. At the same time, reminding the community on ways to conserve energy can be beneficial to customers’ bills while helping protect the environment.”

Officials attribute the increased energy demand and power usage to the region’s unseasonably hot late summer weather – noting typical factors leading to new peak demands are gradual annual increases in the customer base, adoption of refrigerated air conditioning, as well as increased hot weather.

EPE customers have set a new annual peak in 17 out of the last 19 years, and the utility acknowledged the record use is still subject to final verification.