Meeting the recent heat wave’s challenges with upgraded technology, Salt River Project (SRP) provided a record amount of energy to its Phoenix-area retail customers by delivering 6,806 megawatts at 5 p.m. Saturday.

SRP's Saturday delivery topped last year's record and marked the first time it set a record for electric usage on a weekend record since 1951.

Extreme daytime temperatures, higher overnight temperatures and relatively high humidity, along with an increase in the number of SRP customers, coincided to create strong demand. With Phoenix reaching a high of 115 degrees Saturday following several days of extreme heat warnings, SRP’s electrical grid was able to meet the valley’s needs with optimal performance during the hard-hitting weather.

SRP is a community-based, not-for-profit public power utility and the largest provider of electricity in the greater Phoenix metropolitan area, serving more than 1 million customers. It offers customers various incentives for cost savings through rebate and discount programs, home energy audits, do-it-yourself offerings, and energy advice.

The utility is also the metropolitan area's largest supplier of water, delivering about 800,000 acre-feet annually to municipal, urban and agricultural water users.