Texas power use breaks record, more to come as heatwave lingers

That compares with a normal high of 92 F for this time of year. ERCOT said power use soared to a preliminary 75,124 megawatts (MW) on Thursday, topping the current all-time high of 74,917 MW on June 12, and will reach 75,882 MW on Friday and 76,485 MW on Monday.

Power demand in Texas hit a new all-time high on Thursday and will likely break that record on Friday and Monday as homes and businesses keep air conditioners cranked up to escape a lingering heatwave. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which operates the grid for more than 26 million customers representing about 90% of the state's power load, has said it has enough resources available to meet demand.

Extreme weather is a reminder of the February freeze in 2021 that left millions of Texans without power, water, and heat for days during a deadly storm as ERCOT scrambled to prevent a grid collapse after an unusually large amount of generation shut. AccuWeather forecasts high temperatures in Houston, the biggest city in Texas, will rise from 94 Fahrenheit (34.4 Celsius) on Friday to 103 F on Sunday and 101 F on Monday. That compares with a normal high of 92 F for this time of year.

ERCOT said power use soared to a preliminary 75,124 megawatts (MW) on Thursday, topping the current all-time high of 74,917 MW on June 12, and will reach 75,882 MW on Friday and 76,485 MW on Monday. One megawatt can power around 1,000 U.S. homes on a typical day, but only about 200 homes on a hot summer day in Texas.

Despite record-setting demand, power prices at the ERCOT North Hub, which includes Dallas, only rose to a one-week high of $100 per megawatt-hour on Friday from $87 on Thursday. That compares with an average of $63 so far this year. ERCOT forecasts economic growth would boost peak demand to 77,317 MW this summer. The grid expects new wind and solar power plants added over the past year will increase resources available this summer to 91,392 MW.

 

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