Major Wyo utility says it can withstand the heat wave
Given the recent heat wave blazing across the U.S., I asked Rocky Mountain Power — Wyoming’s largest regulated utility — if it’s prepared to meet a potential spike in demand from air conditioning. Here’s what Rocky Mountain Power spokesman Jeff Hymas said in response:
“Our system is in good shape for managing the higher electricity use that occurs with the summer heat and use of air conditioning. Near the end of last summer, we began identifying areas of concern for Summer 2012 and allocated funding for needed improvements. All of these projects were completed by the end of May 2012. This is something we do each year to prepare our system to withstand the summer heat and higher electricity use.
“We’ve already had some really hot days this June and our system has operated well. One thing to note is that peak electricity use for our Wyoming customers actually occurs in the winter, which is different than in Utah and Idaho where electricity use peaks in the summer. So we don’t have as many challenges when it comes to summer heat in Wyoming.”
— Contact WyoFile editor-in-chief Dustin Bleizeffer at (307) 577-6069 or dustin@wyofile.com.