Analysis and Modeling of the Impact of Covid-19 Response Measures on Power Demand

Different countries and regions across the world have adopted various responses and containment measures since the early part of 2020 to control the spread of the coronavirus causing Covid-19. These measures have caused significant changes in peoples' mobility, utilization of commercial and industrial facilities, deployment of government resources to provide necessary financial sustenance and support public health. In this study, we have analyzed the impact of these response measures on aggregate electric load in 4 different regions in the US and tried to identify how the load forecasting models may need to be changed post-pandemic. The key findings from our research include (1) the confirmation of a paradigm change in the nature of power demand before and after the pandemic, (2) the emergence of Covid-19 response related factors as predictors of load, and, (3) the reduction in relative importance of traditional load-influencing factors, including temperature, during the pandemic.