TAMPA, Fla. – With air conditioners cranked up to combat the scorching heat, Tampa Electric Co. set a record Tuesday for summer electricity use, the utility said.
At 5 p.m. Tuesday, Tampa Electric customers used 4,640 megawatts of electricity, the highest amount used at any moment.
The utility said in a news release Wednesday that it topped the previous record of 4,514 megawatts on Aug. 18, 2021.
“This weather is not easy on our customers,” Archie Collins, president, and chief executive officer of Tampa Electric, said in a prepared statement. “Air conditioners are working harder, and bills are higher as a result.”
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The heatwave is being caused by a combination of factors, including a strong La Niña event, which is causing warmer-than-normal ocean temperatures in the Pacific Ocean.
This is causing the jet stream to dip southward, bringing hot air from the desert southwest into the United States.
The heatwave is having a devastating impact on people and wildlife. In the United States, there have been dozens of heat-related deaths, and thousands of people have been hospitalized.
The heatwave is also causing power outages, water shortages, and crop failures. In India, the heatwave has caused widespread crop damage, and there are concerns about food shortages.
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