The heavy use of air conditioning used to drive peak usage for electric utilities in the hot humid months of summer, but that may be changing.
Southeastern Electric, based in Marion, saw record peak loads in the winter months this year.
Manager Brad Schardin says cold weather was the driving factor……

Schardin says their January peak load power cost was up nine percent over the previous peak, and February broke that………

Schardin says more expensive power sources have to come on line to handle those power peaks…..

Schardin says they expect the March report to be similar.
Southeastern has about nineteen thousand customers from near Sioux Falls, west and south to the Parkston and Menno areas.