This summer was the hottest ever recorded in Phoenix, and also one of the driest. That led to high demand for water and electricity.
With Phoenix’s hottest summer on record, there was a significant increase in energy usage. SRP spokeswoman Erica Sturworld said the utility broke an all-time record for peak demand in July.
"Our previous record was around 7300 megawatts, and this past July, we hit 76, over 7600 megawatts on one certain day. And just to put that in perspective, one megawatt is enough energy to power about 225 average homes,” Sturworld said.
Another resource in high demand is water. But SRP spokesperson Patty Likens says the reservoirs the utility relies on to provide water are at healthy levels.
"Despite that, we're doing pretty well. Our reservoir system is at 80% full, and that compares to 68% this time last year,” Likens said.
The triple-digit temperatures extended well into fall, but if this week’s forecast is any indication, metro Phoenix could see a significant decrease in air-conditioning usage.
