The warmer-than-normal temperatures over one of the hottest summers on record pushed electricity use in New York City and Westchester to new heights, Con Edison said. The utility reported 18,742,739 megawatt hours of electricity consumed during June, July and August, enough power to supply the states of Vermont, Rhode Island and Alaska combined for an entire year. This summer’s record electricity use surpassed the 17,491,313 megawatt hours used over the same three-month period in 2002. In order to ensure the continued safe and reliable delivery of electricity to meet the region’s ever-growing demand, the company is investing more than $1 billion a year to upgrade and maintain its transmission and distribution system.

Last year, New York City issued approximately 19 percent more building permits than the previous year. Home air conditioning use has increased dramatically, and customers are expected to install an additional 900,000 units over the next five years.