Alberta set a new all-time record for peak electricity consumption on Tuesday.

With temperatures expected to dip down into the mid 30’s again Wednesday night, there’s a chance it could happen once again. Only this time it might prove to be a bit more of a challenge for Alberta’s electrical grid.

Read more here :Alberta hits new peak power consumption record

The Alberta Electrical System Operator says the cold weather is affecting the operations of some of the generation facilities across the province as electricity consumption is expected to climb once again.

This is a cause for concern as it could impact the ability to supply enough power to homes and businesses in Alberta to meet the demand.

If the province is struggling to meet the demand for power due to issues with generation facilities, it could lead to a level 3 Energy Emergency Alert. That could mean rolling brownouts for the province. That’s where power is shut off to certain areas for a short amount of time in order to conserve energy and meet the electricity demands.

Read more here: Alberta nears record power consumption amid cold snap

AESO is asking Albertans to reduce their electric consumption between 4:00 and 7:00 PM today in order to help conserve power.

You can help by turning off unnecessary lights, waiting until later in the evening to run your dishwasher, washer/dryer or other large appliances. Using a slow cooker, pressure cooker, or countertop oven instead of the stove/oven to cook a meal also uses much less power.

Here’s a full list of energy saving tips from AESO:

  • Turn off unnecessary lights and electrical appliances
  • Minimize the use of air conditioning/space heaters
  • Delay the use of major power-consuming appliances such as washers, dryers and dishwashers until after the peak hours of 4 - 7 p.m.
  • Use cold water for washing clothes – most of the energy used goes to heating the water. Only running full loads helps too
  • Cook with your microwave, crockpot or toaster oven instead of the stove
  • Limit the use of kitchen or bathroom ventilation fans
  • Use motion-detector lights in storage areas, garages, and outdoors when possible
  • Work on a laptop instead of a desktop computer – laptops are more energy-efficient than desktop units

Just before 10:00 AM, according to the AESO current supply and demand report, 95 per cent of Alberta's electricity was being produced by fossil fuels (Coal and Natural Gas). Wind was producing 0.46 per cent of total generation, while solar and other was producing 0 per cent of total generation. At the same time, Alberta was importing 973 MW or 8.7 per cent.

 

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