PUD sets new high-load record during heat wave

Increased electricity use among industrial customers led to a new high-load record at Grant PUD during the first week of the heat wave this month.

The public utility provided 1,107 megawatts of electricity to customers in the 98823 zip code on July 9.

“Every day during that hot streak topped the old all-time record of just over 1,000 MW, set during the sub-zero cold snap in January 2024,” said Christine Pratt, Grant PUD public affairs officer.

Energy use for Grant PUD typically peaks twice a year, she said, during the coldest days of winter and the warmest of summer. It’s why most people see higher bills during extreme temperatures.

“The new record may not stand for long, given the hot forecast,” according to Pratt. “And August hasn’t yet begun.

Meanwhile, neither Coulee Medical Center nor Grand Coulee Ambulance had any heat-related visits or calls, according to spokespeople from each organization.

“We may have had a couple problems that were exacerbated by the heat, nothing we can positively say,” Grand Coulee Ambulance Chief Rick Paris said in an email. “We have treated a couple of firefighters at some recent fires that did have minor heat/work-related issues that were resolved without trips to the hospital.”

Numbers from the Colville Tribe’s ambulance service were not immediately available.

Extreme heat readiness tips can be found at ready.gov/heat.