Demand Overview
Electricity Demand Records
The summer peak for electricity demand set on July 13, 2005 was 26,160 MW. From June to August 2004, the average daily peak on weekdays was 20,207 MW.
Forecasting Peak Electricity Demand
Electricity supply and demand must be in balance every minute of the day. The IESO must forecast peak demand to ensure that generation will be available to meet the peak.
Peak Demand Forecasts
|
Season |
Normal Weather Peak (MW) |
Extreme Weather Peak (MW) |
|
Summer 2005 |
23,802 |
26,931 |
|
Winter 2005 |
24,207 |
25,731 |
|
Summer 2006 |
24,066 |
27,269 |
Demand Patterns Throughout the Day
Electricity demand is primarily influenced by weather, hours of daylight, business hours, school holidays and consumption patterns as people arrive home from work. Typically, demand peaks between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. everyday. Demand in the middle of the night can be as low as 12,000 - 13,000 MW and can rise by as much as 10,000 MW later the same day.
Year Total (TWh) Increase Over Previous Year 2004 153 1.1% 2003 152 -0.7% 2002 153 4.1% 2001 147 0% 2000 147 2.1% 1999 144 2.9% 1998 140 1.4% 1997 138 Total Annual Ontario Energy Demand
Under a median economic growth scenario, energy consumption in Ontario is forecast to grow to roughly 169 TWh in 2014.
