Heat wave pushes Alberta past record high electricity demand

The historic heat wave that has settled over Western Canada has pushedAlberta past a recordhigh demand for electricity.

A spokesperson for the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO) said earlier in the day the summer record of 10,822 megawatts,set in 2019, was expected to be broken today.

And shortly before 5p.m. MT, theAESO's website showed the loadas11,500megawatts, thoughthe provincial power grid operator could not officially confirm the record had been surpassed.

Alberta's energy use usually peaks in winter, with an all-time record of 11,729 MW set in winter 2020. With record high temperatures, it's possible that will change this year.

A similar record was also broken within Calgary.

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At 3 p.m.,the city saw a load of 1,723 megawatts, according to ENMAX's website breaking the summer record of 1,692 megawatts set in August2018, and the winter record of 1,653 megawattssetin December2013, the utility company confirmed.

"We did surpass our all-time summer record and it continues to climb," said ENMAX spokespersonGina Sutherland.

The temperature near the Calgary airport was 33 C at the time.

The entire province is under a heat warning, with temperatures expected to peak around 40 C mid-week.

Temperatures and power demand are continuing to rise,and demand typically peaks between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Leif Sollid, communications manager for AESO, said the grid is continuing to meet demand but it will help if people conserve power during that high-use period.

"Don't do your dishes right after dinner.Yeah, if you can avoid using major appliances, turn off lights all that collectively can make a difference," Sollid said.

CBC meteorologist Johanna Wagstaffe said Alberta is expected to be the hottest place in Canada on Tuesday.

"This is absolutely connected to climate change our baseline has shifted," she said.