Arizona extreme heat: Electricity customers set new peak demand records
PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Thanks to the extreme heat in the Valley, records fell for two major utility companies.
APS said Friday the utility set a new peak demand record between 5 and 6 p.m., when customers used 9,053 megawatts. That topped the old record set in August of last year, when APS customers’ energy use hit a high of 8,648 megawatts.
One megawatt is enough to power about 160 Arizona homes, an APS spokesperson said.
SRP said Monday it also sent a record amount of energy, delivering 9,072 megawatts Friday between 5 and 6 p.m. That broke the old record of 8,542 megawatts set on Aug. 7, 2025.
An SRP spokesperson said the company broke that 2025 record on Thursday and Saturday, too.
One megawatt powers about 225 homes, SRP said.
The high temperature in Phoenix Friday was a record 117 degrees, the hottest day of the year so far, while Yuma saw a high of 116 degrees. Phoenix also saw a low of 97 degrees.
First Alert Chief Meteorologist Royal Norman said the heat is tied to a persistent weather pattern.
“This big ridge of high pressure stretches all the way from the southeast into the southwest,” Norman said. “And it’s a very strong ridge of high pressure. A lot of folks think that this high pressure is El Niño enhanced. And it certainly may be. It’s been in place a long time. Until that begins to break down or shifts either way, or we get a jet stream dipping down into it, it’s going to stay unseasonably hot for much of the country.”
This is the fourth straight year APS customers have broken a peak energy use record. The trend reflects Arizona’s continuing growth with more people, new businesses and an expanding economy, an APS spokesperson said.
The new peak record came two days before the U.S. Department of Energy issued an emergency order across 17 states, including Arizona, that will send generators to those states to avoid blackouts.
U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said the administration is drawing on available backup generation to maintain power for residents and businesses.
The department estimates more than 35 gigawatts of unused backup generation remain available nationwide.
APS said the order does not apply to the utility and does not affect its customers.
An APS spokesperson said APS provides reliable service to customers even during the hottest of days thanks to “investments, years of planning and year-round preparation.”
While SRP did not mention the emergency order, a spokesperson said crews added nearly 800 megawatts to the grid through several expansion, solar and energy storage projects.
“Teams across SRP conduct extensive planning and work year-round to ensure we provide reliable service, especially during long stretches of extreme daytime and nighttime heat,” Pam Syrjala, SRP senior director of supply and trading, said in a written statement. “We call on a diverse mix of generating resources, including natural gas, solar and battery energy storage, to serve customers around the clock.”
The Department of Energy said power outages cost Americans $44 billion per year, citing data from its National Laboratories.
Some Valley residents embrace the heat
Not everyone is retreating indoors. Ramon Martinez, 83, said he has lived in the Valley for 53 years and has no plans to change his routine.
“Oh no, I love it. I’ve been here for 53 years and I’m 83 years old and I love it and I still love it and I will love it forever again,” Martinez said.
Martinez and his wife visit an outdoor location nearly every afternoon.
“Almost every day we come here. In the afternoon, we come here and feed the birds. Or eat our ice cream,” he said.
APS provides electricity to 1.5 million homes and businesses in 11 of Arizona’s 15 counties.
SRP is a not-for-profit public power utility, and the largest electricity provider in the Phoenix metro area, with about 1.2 million customers.
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