Area Utilities Don't Wilt As Demand Sets Records

Pepco's record power demand of 6,725 megawatts, set last summer, was broken about 2 p.m. yesterday, spokesman Bob Dobkin said.

Dominion Virginia Power said its demand was also high but would not know until today whether the record of 18,897 megawatts, also set last year, had been surpassed.

A BGE spokeswoman said the utility, which serves Howard and Anne Arundel counties and parts of Prince George's County, made use of its energy saver program for a second day. It allows the company to periodically cycle off the air conditioners of 225,000 volunteer customers.

Still, BGE's demand record of 7,045 megawatts, also set last summer, was broken about 4 p.m., the spokeswoman said.

All the local utilities said they were having little trouble meeting demand, however.

"So far, fine," Pepco's Dobkin said. "No problems to speak of."

The Washington area is part of a power network, the PJM Interconnect, that pools resources through the mid-Atlantic region. Experts say enough power generation is available that no brownouts or rolling blackouts should occur.

"This summer, the supply condition remains healthy," said Jone-Lin Wang, an official at Cambridge Energy Research Associates.

Elsewhere yesterday, things were decidedly unhealthy.

In Montgomery County, juveniles at the main detention facility for minors sweltered because of a power outage that started Monday.

Ed Hopkins, a spokesman for the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services, which controls the Alfred D. Noyes Children's Center in Rockville, said security was not at risk.

Today has been designated a Code Red, or unhealthful, air quality day by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. Fares will be free on designated Metrobus routes in suburban Maryland and Virginia and on Montgomery County's Ride On system.

Virginia Railway Express discovered a kink in a rail on the Fredericksburg Line between Alexandria and Franconia/Springfield, causing delays. Heat restrictions on MARC's lines reduced speeds.

U.S. Capitol employees cut energy use by turning off unneeded equipment, and lighting was dimmed. Some employees were amused, noting that the building is usually kept cool enough for sweaters and suit coats.

Staff writers Charles Babington, Susan DeFord, Daniel deVise, Rosalind S. Helderman, Allison Klein, Allan Lengel, Ernesto Londoño, Ann E. Marimow, Jamie Stockwell, Sandhya Somashekhar, Lena H. Sun, Martin Weil and Dan Zak contributed to this report.