LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Extreme temperatures across the state resulted in the state's largest utilities supplying a record amount of power yesterday. Louisville Gas and Electric Company and the combined system load set new all-time peak load records. Kentucky Utilities Company, likewise, set new summer and August system peak records for electricity consumption.
LG&E experienced a peak demand of 2,852 megawatts at 3 p.m., which exceeded the previous all-time peak record of 2,834 megawatts set on Aug. 16, 2007.
KU experienced a peak demand of 4,354 megawatts at 1 p.m. that exceeded the previous summer and August KU peak of 4,344 megawatts set on Aug. 9, 2007. The all-time KU peak record remains 4,640 megawatts set on Jan. 16, 2009.
The combined systems set a new all-time record of 7,175 megawatts at 3 p.m. — the highest all-time peak since Aug. 9, 2007, when the system peak load was 7,132 megawatts.
"With temperatures this high for this long, it is going to cause a strain on our entire system. We are pleased that our entire system performed well with yesterday's record-breaking temperature and load," said Paul W. Thompson, Senior Vice President, Energy Services. "It is a true testament to both our infrastructure systems and our employees anytime we meet the demands that we experienced recently. Our employees take pride in providing safe and reliable power to the communities we serve."
Loads are anticipated to be lower today with cooler temperatures predicted.
Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities Company, part of the PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL) family of companies, are regulated utilities that serve a total of 1.2 million customers and have consistently ranked among the best companies for customer service in the United States. LG&E serves 321,000 natural gas and 397,000 electric customers in Louisville and 16 surrounding counties. KU serves 543,000 customers in 77 Kentucky counties and five counties in Virginia. More information is available at www.lge-ku.com and www.pplweb.com.
