CU, Empire break usage records for third day

For the third day in a row, customers of Springfield’s City Utilities and Joplin’s Empire District Electric Co. set usage records Wednesday, as people cranked up their air conditioners to escape outdoor temperatures in the hundreds.

Peak demand between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. Wednesday totaled 802 megawatts on CU’s electric system, when the outside temperature reached 101 degrees.

CU customers had set usage records Tuesday, at 789 megawatts, and Monday, at 764 megawatts. The previous record was set July 22, 2005, at 760 megawatts.

Empire customers set a peak demand record yesterday as well. Its customers used 1,159 megawatts of power at 5 p.m., as the temperature in Joplin passed 102 degrees.

The peak surpassed the records of 1,141 set at 5 p.m. Tuesday and 1,087 megawatts at 5 p.m. Monday.

Today’s highs are expected to reach 102 degrees in Springfield and 103 degrees in Joplin. The National Weather Service Forecast Office in Springfield says Friday’s high should be 97 degrees in Springfield and 99 degrees in Joplin, though rain and thunderstorms are possible.