Frigid temperatures, the coldest in 20 years in Calgary, prompted many residents to turn up the heat and gobble up more power.
Alberta’s Electric System Operator says that from December 21, 2013, to March 20, 2014, energy usage was up four percent from the same period the year before.
That difference, about 373 megawatts, equals the regular consumption of about 460,000 homes.
"We typically see an increased demand this time of year, but with the deep freeze we have seen this winter and residential and industrial use increasing, this year has been a particularly notable one," says Miranda Keating Erickson, Vice President, Operations with the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO) in a release.
The peak-system demand increased by five percent from 2012 to 2013, which AESO says is the strongest growth in North America.
AESO says that potential cold snaps could be behind us for the season, but it could be put under significant stresses if April has a lot of precipitation.
