Queensland’s electricity network handled the punishing weekend heatwave with capacity to spare, Energy Minister Mark Bailey said today.
“On Sunday afternoon, at the peak of the heatwave, Queensland reached a new electricity demand record of 9369 megawatts,” Mr Bailey said.
“However, even when we hit the maximum demand level Queensland still had 548 megawatts in reserve capacity.
“It is almost unprecedented to hit peak on a weekend, but people using air conditioners to escape the heat was a big factor – 76 per cent of homes in South East Queensland now have air conditioning, compared with 45 per cent in 2004.
“Both Powerlink, Energy Queensland, Stanwell and CS Energy, along with other generators worked around the clock to meet the demand and ensure that our system met this challenge.”
Mr Bailey said continued high temperatures on Monday afternoon, coupled with additional network demand by commercial and industrial business, means the state could hit another peak demand record.
“The Australian Energy Market Operator’s forecasts indicates we are still in good shape to meet this demand,” Mr Bailey said.
“In Queensland we have a diverse mix of electricity generation, including base load coal-fired and hydro generation complemented by other renewables.
“This diversity means Queensland’s power system is ready to meet the expected customer demands for electricity during our hot weather.”
Mr Bailey said he encourages Queenslanders to use electricity wisely.
