Air conditioning load during a period of extreme heat and humidity caused Buckeye Power, Inc., and Buckeye Rural Electric Coopertive (BREC) to set new summer demand peaks on Aug. 2. Co-op officials calculate the effect on electric bills will be an additional 50 cents per month in demand charge.

The statewide temperature was 94 degrees at 4 p.m. on Aug. 2, when BPI recorded an estimated 1,553 MW load. This broke the peak of record (POR) set the previous day, Aug. 1, and the POR set on July 31.

The Aug. 2 mark was the fourth record-breaking peak of the summer. On Monday, July 17, the first POR was set at 1,495 MW.

Here’s how BREC tracked with BPI’s load on those peak days (the totals are estimated from delivery point data and may be revised):

• July 17 – BPI = 1,495 MW / BREC = 57,727 KW

• July 31 – BPI = 1,523 MW / BREC = 56,801 KW

• Aug. 1 – BPI = 1,552 MW / BREC = 58,605 KW

• Aug. 2 – BPI = 1,553 MW / BREC = 59,426 KW

BREC had peak warning alerts running and BPI was in full load control over the three-day period from July 31-August 2. A difference in local demand was seen on July 31, when BREC actually reduced its POR; but the next day, demand peaked again because it was simply too hot and humid for too long.