SHREVEPORT, La., August 20, 2007 - Extreme summer temperatures of 100 degrees and above and high humidity across Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas last week sent usage of electricity by customers of AEP Southwestern Electric Power Company (SWEPCO) to a new all-time high level. A new “unofficial” peak customer demand was established Wednesday, August 15, 2007, with a record 4,924 megawatt (MW) load on the SWEPCO system. This was the third straight day a new company all-time record load was broken, surpassing the 4,923 MW mark on Tuesday, August 14, and the 4,920 MW mark on Monday, August 13.
The record 4,924 MW record load (0.6 percent over projected high for the summer) was set at 4:00 p.m. when the Shreveport temperature was 102 degrees. SWEPCO’s all-time record peak load prior to last week was set last summer on August 16, with a 4,912 MW load on the system when the temperature in Shreveport reached 103 degrees. The area experienced a mild and wet June and July but since August 3, SWEPCO’s peak demand increased 11 percent over the projected load for the summer. A megawatt is a million watts, or enough energy to supply power to about 1,000 homes. SWEPCO is a member of the Southwest Power Pool, a regional reliability council with over 40,000 megawatts of electric generation available to serve four million customers in eight states.
Many SWEPCO customers will see higher electric bills because of the hot weather, increased electricity usage in August, and higher natural gas costs. Company representatives will work on an individual basis with customers experiencing difficulty paying an electric bill.
Customers may want to take advantage of SWEPCO’s Average Monthly Payment (AMP) plan, which allows residential customers to pay approximately the same amount each month for their electric service. Also, the company’s Neighbor To Neighbor energy assistance program helps families pay their electric bills during times of special need, such as extreme hot temperatures or financial emergencies. SWEPCO provides ongoing support by contributing annually to the program during the summer months ($130,000 was given across the company’s three-state service area in 2007). Since the program began in 1993, over $1.6 million dollars in funds generated from SWEPCO and over 10,000 of its customers have helped some 16,000 families in SWEPCO’s service area. Contact SWEPCO 24 hours a day toll-free at 1-888-216-3523 for details on these programs.
SWEPCO’s utilizes Wyoming low-sulfur coal and locally-mined lignite at four of its ten power plants in its three-state service territory for 85 percent of its power generation, with the remainder of its energy needs coming from natural gas.
SWEPCO serves 464,000 customers in western Arkansas, Northwest Louisiana and East and North Texas within a 25,000 square-mile service area. SWEPCO serves 176,000 customers in Louisiana, 176,000 in Texas and 112,000 in Arkansas.
Scott McCloud
Corporate Communications
318-673-3532