NEW YORK, Aug. 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Con Edison set a record for peak electricity demand today, reaching 13,141 megawatts at 5 p.m., which topped the 13,103 megawatts the company set at 5 p.m. on Monday.
Con Edison first reached the 10,000-megawatt mark in 1988, topped 11,000 megawatts in 1997, broke the 12,000-megawatt barrier in 2001, and surpassed 13,000-megawatts last summer.
In Con Edison's service area, overall electric consumption has grown by nearly 20 percent over the past 10 years. Power use continues to rise as customers use more air conditioners, computers, printers, scanners, cell phone chargers, and other equipment both at home and in their offices.
The Con Edison system delivers energy across a network of 93,000 miles of underground and 36,000 miles of overhead wires to approximately 9 million New York City and Westchester County residents. Throughout this heat wave, the company continues to monitor its systems around the clock to ensure the safe and reliable delivery of electricity.
During this heat wave, the company continues to urge its 3.2 million customers in New York City and Westchester County to conserve electricity. Simple conservation tips include:
* Turning off appliances when they are not needed;
* Set air conditioners at 78 degrees or higher;
* Use energy-intensive appliances like dishwashers, washing machines and
dryers late at night, or early in the morning.
Con Edison is a subsidiary of Consolidated Edison, Inc. [NYSE: ED], one of the nation's largest investor-owned energy companies, with approximately $12 billion in annual revenues and $25 billion in assets. The utility provides electric, gas and steam service to more than 3 million customers in New York City and Westchester County, New York. For additional financial, operations and customer service information, visit Con Edison's Web site at http://www.coned.com/.
