Adding fuel to a debate about whether the city has an adequate power supply, Consolidated Edison yesterday released data showing New Yorkers consumed a record amount of energy this year.

Last year’s usage in the five boroughs of 54,454 gigawatt hours eclipsed the record of 53,599 GWh set in 2005, and is more than 23% higher than the 44,228 GWh used in 1997.

In the last few years, New York City has been hit with periodic electricity interruptions, and some argue that the city needs more power generation to account for projected future growth.

“If Con Ed is carrying more than ever before, demand for generation is more than ever,” the president and CEO of the Partnership for New York City, Kathryn Wylde, said. “We’ve obviously crippled ourselves in the metropolitan area by not supplying ourselves with enough generation to sustain this growth.”

The city’s record energy usage comes five years after the expiration of Article X, the state law designed to speed up approval of new power plants. Without the article’s renewal, energy companies have not been able to construct new sources of generation in the state.

After Governor Spitzer urged the article’s renewal last year, two separate bills were introduced in the state Legislature. The Assembly version, backed by Mr. Spitzer, emphasizes the approval of clean energy generators. The Senate gives the same preference to nuclear and coal-powered facilities.

The increase comes despite a $4.7 million city-supported energy conservation program introduced last summer. The campaign stressed a number of different ways to cut energy, from unplugging chargers and installing energy-efficient light bulbs to switching to Con Ed’s alternative energy plans.