Slovenia’s electricity system experienced an unprecedented demand peak during the morning hours of Thursday, 8 January, driven by a combination of severe winter weather and limited renewable generation. Heavy snowfall in the days leading up to the spike covered much of the country, including solar installations, sharply reducing their output, while temperatures plunged well below freezing.
The extreme cold led to widespread use of electric heating, including heat pumps and other electric heaters, which operated at full capacity during the morning peak. Between 8:00 and 9:00 AM, these factors combined to place extraordinary pressure on the national electricity system.
According to data from ELES, average electricity withdrawal from the transmission network during that hour reached 2,299.7 MW, excluding network losses. This level marks the highest demand ever recorded on Slovenia’s transmission network, surpassing the previous national record of 2,228 MW set in March 2018.
The January surge underscores the growing sensitivity of electricity systems to extreme weather events, particularly when renewable generation is constrained and heating demand rises sharply.