Consumption of electricity in the US state of New York, often referred to as a ground zero for the COVID-19 pandemic's spread in the United States, fell by an average of 13 percent in March and April, as businesses that normally use about half of the state's power shut down, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) said in a report on Wednesday
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 06th May, 2020) Consumption of electricity in the US state of New York, often referred to as a ground zero for the COVID-19 pandemic's spread in the United States, fell by an average of 13 percent in March and April, as businesses that normally use about half of the state's power shut down, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) said in a report on Wednesday.
"On the NYISO grid, daily weekday electricity demand in January 2020 and most of February 2020 closely tracked the average temperature-comparable historical demand before beginning to drop slightly at the end of February. This drop became more pronounced in March as the state began taking steps to limit the spread of COVID-19. By late March, weekday NYISO daily electricity demand averaged about 13 percent lower than temperature-comparable historical demand, where it remained through April," the report said.
NYISO, or New York Independent System Operator, operates the state's electrical grid, the release noted.
Data from NYISO shows a reduction in electric demand from commercial customers as a "leading driver of overall reduced electricity consumption," the report said.
New York State's electricity sales to commercial sector end users as a proportion of total electricity sales is the second-largest in the United States (52 percent) after Washington, DC (72 percent), the report added.
