PHOENIX — Utility company Salt River Project (SRP) set a record for energy delivered to customers on Sunday, when the high temperature in Phoenix reached 116 degrees.
SRP hit a new peak of 8,219 megawatts between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m., surpassing the previous record of 8,163 megawatts on July 18, 2023, according to a press release.
The 116-degree heat tied a daily record in Phoenix.
“SRP’s resource planning, operational readiness and power generation teams ensure we have enough generating resources available to serve these increasingly high loads,” Laura Olson, SRP senior manager of short-term trading, said in the release.
Why did SRP hit a new energy record?
SRP said a multitude of factors, including extreme high temperatures, high overnight temperatures and an increasing customer base, contributed to the new record.
It’s the third consecutive summer an energy record has been set.
One megawatt can power about 225 homes, according to SRP. The high temperature when the previous record was set in 2023 was 118 degrees, while the high on July 12, 2022, was 115 degrees.
The utility has added new resources in 2024, including energy storage facilities and natural gas generation at the Copper Crossing Energy and Research Center in Florence.
“Our trading and operational teams are then well-positioned to maintain reliability, especially during times of extreme heat, calling upon a mix of energy, including solar, batteries, wind, natural gas and hydro power,” Olson said.
