Heat Wave Brings Near Record Electric Consumption
A heat wave brought triple digit temperatures across the eastern seaboard yesterday and will again today. But as Charles Fishburne reports, Dominion Virginia Power says there is enough reserve, even as consumption reaches near record levels.
Coming off the hottest June since 1943, July is so far, just as bad.
Bodkins: The all-time record is about 19 thousand seven or eight hundred megawatts of electricity used during that period of time.
David Bodkins, Dominion Virginia Power.
Bodkins: We're gonna bump up close to that record.
Total consumption is tabulated the next day, so he says we won’t know yet if yesterday broke the all time record set in August of 2007, but he says, today will be pushing it as well.
Bodkins: It is the consecutive back-to-back-to-back days that do stress the system, require transformers running hot and circuits hot and a lot of electricity carried on the power lines.
And, do we have enough reserve?
Bodkins: Absolutely, and that is the bottom line.
He does suggest customers could raise thermostats to 78, especially when they are not at home, and to close blinds and drapes.
Charles Fishburne, WCVE News
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