NYT: Electrical Use Hits New Highs in Much of U.S. [View All]

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Electrical Use Hits New Highs in Much of U.S.
By RICHARD PÉREZ-PEÑA and MATTHEW L. WALD
Published: August 2, 2006

A smothering heat wave shattered records for electricity use across a wide swath of the country yesterday as utilities and government officials called for conservation and braced for even more strain on the power grid today.

Power systems held up well despite worries about overloaded plants, transformers or lines. But utility executives warned that the risk of breakdowns rises steadily as a heat wave wears on, and with today’s temperatures expected to top yesterday’s, with possible record highs along the East Coast, power companies were girding for a huge challenge.

Three independent system operators, agencies that manage regional grids for New York, the mid-Atlantic and the Midwest, set record highs for electricity demand yesterday, breaking records set two weeks ago. New England was just shy of a record.

Experts say demand is rising faster than the ability to meet it, which over the long run could pose the risk of both local and regional failures....

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Power demand has climbed much faster than predicted across the country since 2004, raising concerns about whether efforts to build new plants and transmission lines, and encourage conservation, will satisfy the nation’s appetite for electricity....

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/02/us/02power.html?hp&ex=1154491200&en=450663e8df04140e&ei=5094&partner=homepage