Chugach sees all-time system peak load two days in a row

Chugach Electric recorded an all-time system peak load of 479 megawatts between 6 and 7 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 9, when the temperature at Chugach's International Station was minus 6 degrees. A peak is the total demand put on the electric system by customers.

It was the second evening in a row that Chugach had recorded a record peak. Monday, Jan. 8 Chugach recorded a system peak of 470 megawatts between 6 and 7 p.m. when the temperature at Chugach's International Station was minus 6 degrees. Chugach's previous all-time peak of 462 megawatts was recorded Dec. 4, 2005. By comparison Chugach's 2006 peak load was 457 megawatts, Nov. 26.

As a utility with a large residential customer base, Chugach traditionally sees its peak in the evening hours after folks return home from work. Chugach's peak included sales to its retail customers as well as to its wholesale customers, Matanuska and Homer Electric associations and the City of Seward.

Chugach has about 620 megawatts of generation capacity available to ownership and contracts. It is the largest electric utility in Alaska, providing power for Alaskans throughout the Railbelt through retail, wholesale and economy energy sales.