Press Release

Press Release

Electric Power Supply and Demand Results for Summer 2011 and Supply and Demand Outlook for This Winter

October 04, 2011
Chubu Electric Power Co.,Inc.

Thanks to the efforts of people and businesses in the region to conserve energy and adjust operating schedules, Chubu Electric Power was able to maintain a stable supply of electric power throughout the summer. We deeply appreciate and sincerely thank our customers for their great cooperation.

This is to announce that Chubu Electric Power has compiled this summer's electric power supply and demand results and our outlook for electric power supply and demand for this winter.*1

 

1. Electric power supply and demand results for summer 2011

This summer's peak load (the maximum power three-day average) was 25,020 MW (August 08-10), which was 1,970 MW*2 lower than last year's result of 26,980 MW.

We assume that this was owing to the efforts of many customers to conserve energy and adjust operating schedules and was additionally made possible by poor weather from late July to early September (except for mid-August). In an ordinary year, these months would be a time of high demand.

We specifically estimate that our customers' energy conservation efforts reduced peak loads by about 1,000 MW and business operating adjustments reduced peak loads from Thursday to Friday by about 2,600 MW.

The operating adjustments by our corporate customers were a great sacrifice for enterprise and would not have been possible without the cooperation of many, including employees' families and local governments. We also appreciate our residential customers who so carefully conserved energy day to day over such a long period.

We deeply appreciate and sincerely thank our customers for their great cooperation.

 

2. Electric power supply and demand outlook for this winter

We estimate the peak load this winter to be 23,190 MW (January/February 2012), the same level as we initially planned (in our FY2011 supply plan). While our customers' high level of conservation awareness will restrain demand, we expect an increase in demand especially from industry.

We further estimate that our supply capacity will be up to 24,870 MW (February 2012) as a result of shortening periodic inspections and altering construction periods at thermal power stations, reviewing hydroelectric power station maintenance, and so on, which will add 1,570 MW of capacity.

As a result, we expect our reserve margin this winter to be about 7%, which still falls short of the adequate reserve margin (8-10%) that we use as a criterion for stable supply. While we regret the inconvenience, we ask our customers to continue to conserve energy to the extent that it does not interfere with their personal lives and production activities.

Because heaters and lighting are used heavily in winter, electric power is in high demand for longer periods each day than in the summer. Furthermore, operations have been suspended at all reactors of the Hamaoka Nuclear Power Station and periodic inspections of thermal power stations were delayed as a supply and demand measure this summer. Therefore, this winter there will be less generating equipment available to operate and thus less supply capacity, and our thermal power stations will have to work at a very high operating rate (the length of time with little supply margin will be longer than in the summer).

There is a risk that a large failure of the power supply would impair supply stability for many hours. If such conditions are expected to occur, Chubu Electric Power will notify our customers as quickly as possible and ask them again to take extraordinary measures to conserve energy.

Chubu Electric Power will steadily conduct prioritized inspections and maintenance of our power stations, transmission and substation facilities and so on to prevent this from happening and will make every effort to ensure supply stability.

We thank everyone in advance for their understanding.

 

*1 The period December 01, 2011 - February 29, 2012.

*2 The numbers do not add exactly as shown because of rounding.

 

Reference

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