The term load comprises the consumption in the APG control area as a whole, including underlying public grids, grid losses and the consumption of pumped storage power plants. Load is consequently the electric power which has to be covered by power plant feed-ins or imports.
The load forecast for the following day is usually made available at 10:00 and is based on a model with the following input data:
- Historical load data for the last 5 years
- Temperature forecasts for the following day
- Day type (with a public holiday calendar)
From 2011 on, the grid area of Tyrol is included in the published load forecast. From 2012, the APG control area comprises all of Austria with the exception of a corridor in Vorarlberg.