APS staff members bracing for high demand on power grid during extreme heat

PHOENIX (KSAZ) - When temperatures get as hot as they did on Monday, energy demand goes way up.

Last June, APS set a usage record, and that record may be broken this week.

"These are the type of conditions that produce peak conditions on our systems," said Jeff Burke, Director of Resource Planning for APS.

Experts at APS, however, aren't worried about an energy system overload.

"We design our system for peak, and so we know that this type of weather and this type of stress on the system is coming," said Burke.

While folks in Central Arizona will focus on daytime temperatures, APS is watching the temps at night

"What that means is that people will continue to consume a lot of energy because they're at home and they run their air conditioners and they want to be comfortable," said Burke.

One tip to keep in mind to be wallet comfortable: take the thermostat out of your comfort zone.

"If you can raise your thermostat a degree or two, that's the kind of thing that will save you money on days like this," said Burke.

APS Outage Map and Power Outage Resources
http://outagemap.aps.com/outageviewer/

SRP Outage Map and Power Outage Resources
https://myaccount.srpnet.com/myaccount/outages/public