Albertans asked to reduce power usage

Albertans have been asked to limit their electricity use over the Canada Day long weekend.

The Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO) said the combination of hot weather prompting an increase demand as well as several generators being offline has caused a stress on their system.

“We did put out a similar appeal yesterday because we lost some power generation and then at the end of the day yesterday we lost one more unit so that’s why we put the notice out again today,” AESO director of forecasting, John Esaiw, told CTV News.

Residents have been asked to reduce their use by:

Esaiw said they also advised people to cut down on their appliance usage during the day.

“Clothes dryers, air conditioners, things that you can delay using until later in the day if possible.”

He said that between noon and 6 p.m. was the peak time for demand on the electricity supply.

“That’s the time frame where we need a little help to get us through.”