Record heat, record power demand: A/C too cool?

Will heat records be set again Tuesday?

Will the heat once again push air conditioning use to record heights?

While forecasters said it’ll be a mixed bag of slightly cooler coastal temperatures Tuesday but high heat inland and in the mountains, power officials warned against using too much electricity after a record-setting day of high temperatures and power use Monday.

With the oppressive heat wave sending temperatures into the triple digits across much of the city, electricity demand by Los Angeles Department of Water and Power customers set a record for a single day in any month of June Monday.

According to the DWP, peak energy demand for the day reached 6,080 megawatts, besting the previous record for a June day, which was set on the same date in 2008 when demand hit 6,053 megawatts.

The power demand came as temperature records across the Southland were set or tied.

The high temperature Monday at LAX of 95 tied the old record for the same date, a new record at UCLA was set of 99 degrees,  a new record at Bob Hope Airport in Burbank was set at 111 and new records of 112 were set in Woodland Hills and Lancaster.

Despite the high heat and record power use for the month of June, the demand was short of the all-time record demand — 6,396 megawatts, set on Sept. 16, 2014.  Monday’s demand was about 50 percent greater than the usual demand on a typical June day, according to DWP.

Officials with DWP and other utilities have been urging residents to conserve energy, particularly during the hot afternoon hours.

“Under these extreme conditions, our system is holding up quite well, but we urge our customers to continue to conserve to reduce strain on the grid,” said Michael Webster, DWP assistant general manager for power. “Conserving electricity can help prevent a local power outage if you take simple steps like setting your thermostat to 78 degrees, turning off pool pumps and giving your appliances the day off tomorrow.”

—Staff and wire reports