August heat increases electricity consumption

The consumption of electrical energy increased by 1.8% in August compared to the same month last year, influenced by above-average temperatures. This increase was reduced to 0.7% when adjusted for temperature and working days. However, when looking at the period between January and August, consumption shows a contraction of 0.5% or 0.6% when adjusted for temperature and working days.

In August, conditions were particularly favorable for wind energy production, with an index of 1.16 (historical average of 1), while photovoltaic production had an index of 1.02. Meanwhile, hydroelectric production remained in a dry period, which is normal during the summer. During the month of August, renewable production supplied 46% of the consumption, non-renewable production supplied 24%, while the remaining 30% corresponded to imported energy.

Between January and August, renewable production supplied 57% of the consumption, divided among wind with 24%, hydroelectric with 19%, photovoltaic with 8%, and biomass with 6%. Natural gas production supplied 21% of the consumption, while the remaining 22% corresponded to imported energy. During these eight months, the hydroelectric producibility index was 0.78, the wind producibility index was 0.96, and the solar producibility index was 1.06.

Regarding natural gas consumption, it contracted by 23% in August compared to the same period last year, continuing the trend observed throughout the year. The electricity production segment decreased by 39%, and the conventional segment decreased by 5.3%. Between January and August, natural gas consumption decreased by 21% compared to the same period last year, with a 40% decline in the electricity production segment and a 4.8% decrease in the conventional segment.