Vancouver/Fraser Valley – There were concerns that power demands triggered a substation fail in Chilliwack on Tuesday afternoon (August 15). 15 thousand customers in Sumas, Promontory and Garrison were in the dark. This as we swelter in the heat wave and anyone with A/C had it running.
BC Hydro set a new record for the highest August peak hourly demand – the hour customers use the most electricity – on Monday night (August 14) when temperatures soared across much of the province.
Monday night, preliminary analysis found consumption reached over 8,400 megawatts as British Columbians turned to air conditioning (AC) and fans in an effort to beat the heat. On average, heat waves can result in an addition of over 1,000 megawatts, which is the equivalent of turning on about 1 million portable AC units.
Electricity demand is expected to remain high until temperatures decrease. While the demand for power is higher-than-average with the hot temperatures, BC Hydro wants to assure its customers that its renewable and reliable, hydroelectric system can meet the additional demand. While the demand on the electricity system will be higher, it is about three-quarters of winter peak loads. BC Hydro records the highest demand for electricity in the winter months during the coldest and darkest days of the year.
