Imperial Irrigation District Sets New Energy Demand Record Amid Heat Wave

The Imperial Irrigation District set a new record in customer electric energy demand during a heat wave that saw temperatures soar to 117 degrees, the utility said today.

A new benchmark of 1,177 megawatts was recorded between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Sept. 5, according to the utility, eclipsing the previous record by approximately 25 megawatts.

"The system held well, despite the high temperatures and increased energy demand,'' IID general manager Jamie Asbury said in a statement.   

IID's electrical service area reached temperatures of 117 degrees around that time.    Officials credited four previous "conserve alert" notifications and summer preparations, including "[keeping] its internal generation and field equipment running and maintaining a diverse portfolio of energy generation resources,'' with meeting the high energy load and avoiding rolling outages.  

The IID provides electricity to more than 150,000 customers in parts of Riverside and San Diego counties, as well as all of Imperial County.