The near record-breaking heat this week could push New Yorkers to surpass the record for electricity consumption set seven summers ago.
The New York State Independent System Operator, or NYISO, the North Greenbush entity that oversees the state's high-voltage electricity system, urged residents to limit their energy consumption Thursday to ensure that the lights stayed on amid record demand for power.
NYISO had forecast earlier in the day that the state could reach a peak electricity "load" of 34,450 megawatts, which would surpass the record set in August 2006 of 33,939 megawatts.
But by 5 p.m. the load stood at 33,450 megawatts, and officials expected it would linger at that level, nearly 500 megawatts below the record.
One megawatt of electricity generated by a power plant is enough to supply 800 to 1,000 homes. The load is an average for an hour on the state's electrical grid. The "peak" load typically occurs between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. on a hot day when home and businesses together use the most air conditioning and refrigeration devices.
The state has more than enough electricity at its disposal on hot days like Thursday, including power it imports from places such as Quebec, NYISO said. When power is in high demand in the state the wholesale cost of electricity can skyrocket because some of it comes from power plants that are rarely used.
NYISO says it can handle as a load of as much as 41,452 megawatts.
National Grid, which serves most of the Capital Region and large portions of upstate, also asked customers to limit their energy use by turning off unnecessary lights and electronics, and raising thermostat temperatures.
NYISO predicted in May that the peak power usage this summer would be 33,279 megawatts. But that number has been surpassed already this week, and the prediction was updated Thursday — although several months ago NYISO predicted that if "severe" heat hit New York City, the peak load could hit 35,770 megawatts.
Thursday was the fifth consecutive day that temperatures were in the 90s. The highest temperature for this July was 94 degrees on Wednesday, but predictions for Friday are for a high of 96. The record high for July 19 was 97 degrees set in 1904.
The heat causes more people to use air conditioning, and air conditioning and refrigeration units require more energy to remain cool.
Procedures such as demand response programs are in place to reduce the demand for energy by compensating major energy users, such as industrial businesses, to limit their consumption. New York state has over 5,000 megawatts in reserve in case of an unexpected increase in demand.
The region should get some relief this weekend, though, with the National Weather Service expecting a cold front on Saturday, lowering temperatures to the 80s by Sunday.