Peak load, peak demand

These two terms are used interchangeably to denote the maximum power requirement of a system at a given time, or the amount of power required to supply customers at times when need is greatest. Refers either to the load at a given moment (e.g., a specific time of day) or to average load over a given period of time (e.g., a specific day or hour of the day). Usually expressed in megawatts.