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Mesa is asking its electric customers to conserve energy during peak hours in the face of soaring power costs.
Mesa electric utility customers are likely to see bill increases but can help lower costs by reducing their energy consumption during the peak hours of 3 to 8 p.m., per the city.
Mesa provides electric power to about 13,500 residential customers and more than 3,000 commercial customers, including city facilities, within about 5.5 square miles centered around downtown Mesa. The bulk of the city gets electricity from private providers like the Salt River Project.
The city purchases its electric supply on the market and does not run its own electric generators, making it largely dependent on market conditions. Electricity costs have increased across the southwestern United States because of population growth, more energy use and the transition to new energy sources that don't provide as much during peak hours, putting Mesa in a tough spot.