Charleston, W.Va., July 26, 2004  – Appalachian Power customers set an unofficial summer peak demand of 5,910 megawatts (MW) at 4 p.m. yesterday as sweltering temperatures approached 100 degrees Fahrenheit across the region. The new demand tops the prior summer peak of 5,703 MW set August 5, 2002. 

Appalachian set an all-time peak of 7,100 MW December 20.  A watt is an electrical unit of power of doing work. One hundred watts will light a 100-watt light bulb for one hour.

“We are seeing steady increases in the demand for electricity in our Virginia, West Virginia and Tennessee territory,” said Dana Waldo, Appalachian Power president and COO.   “Historically, our company sees higher demands placed on the system in the winter time, but as more customers seek air-conditioned comfort, that gap is closing.”

Severe storms moved through our region shortly after the new summer peak was set. By 10 p.m. high winds, lightning and falling trees had interrupted service to more than 65,000 customers, primarily in our southern West Virginia territory.

"We appreciate the effort and dedication of our employees who continue to work toward restoring service to customers impacted by this major weather event, “ Waldo said. “In these extreme weather conditions, and we also thank our customers who experienced interruptions for their patience.”

AEP’s Kentucky Power customers also set a new summer peak yesterday at 4 p.m. with a 1,349 MW demand. The prior peak was 1,326 set August 5, 2002. Both new company peaks will be confirmed in when additional metering information is available.

Appalachian Power provides electricity to 1 million customers in Virginia, West Virginia and Tennessee.  It is a unit of American Electric Power, the nation’s largest electricity generator.  AEP owns more than 36,000 megawatts of generating capacity and is one of the nation’s largest electric utilities, with more than 5 million customers in 11 states.
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