On July 20, 2023, during a record heat wave in Arizona, Arizona Public Service (APS) customers set a new record for peak energy use, with customer energy use reaching 8,193 MW.[1] The new record was the most recent in a string of record-setting days. The previous all-time peak was set on July 15, and starting July 14, APS customers recorded the seven highest peak days ever. The previous peak demand record was 7,660 MW, set on July 30, 2020. APS advised customers to conserve energy during peak hours from 4-7 p.m., noting that the peaks reached during the heat wave were between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m.

“Despite historic levels of energy usage, APS and its customers experienced no issues related to power supply; and that does not happen by accident. It takes years of planning, maintaining a diverse energy mix, investing in and strengthening the electric system, and most importantly teams of people who are dedicated to keeping the lights on for customers when they need us most,” APS president Ted Geisler said. The utility invests more than $1.5 billion annually to maintain and upgrade the grid to maintain reliable service. In addition, APS will not disconnect customers for past due residential accounts through mid-October 2023 and will waive late fees during this time period.

[1] https://www.aps.com/en/About/Our-Company/Newsroom/Articles/APS-Powers-Seven-Days-In-Row-Of-Highest-Customer-Electricity-Use-Ever