Despite some absolutely scorching temperatures over the weekend, SaskPower says the province’s electrical grid was not pushed to its limit. According to the Crown, power usage peaked at 3,384 megawatts (MW) early Tuesday. The figure falls short of Saskatchewan’s summer record of 3,669 MW and the winter peak usage at 3,910 MW. Joel Cherry, a spokesperson for SaskPower, explained the grid was less stressed due to the hottest days occurring on the weekend – when there is less industrial activity. “If we are going to hit a higher mark it would likely need to be a very hot day during the week,” he noted. SaskPower operates 33 facilities across the province consisting of hydro, coal, natural gas, wind and solar. The net capacity of Saskatchewan’s power grid is 5,973 MW, including small power producers and import power purchase agreements.
