A new ERCOT website will help the public keep track of new energy demand records.
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Texans set 10 new all-time electricity usage records this summer, and if what is past is prologue then expect more falling records in years to come.
To help the public keep track, ERCOT, the state’s primary grid operator, unveiled on Friday a new Peak Demand Records webpage. On it, Texans can view current and yearly demand records as well as historical information.
“The new Peak Demand Records webpage increases public visibility into current and past record-breaking demand on the grid,” ERCOT CEO Pablo Vegas said in a prepared release. “Providing updated, readily available information on grid operations remains a key part of ongoing transparency in our communications with the public.”
ERCOT has noted that Texans set a new all-time peak demand record on August 10 of 85,464 megawatts, and a new — albeit unofficial — record for the month on September 8, when usage hit 84,182 MW. That surpasses the previous September peak of 83,911 MW, set on September 7.
Prior to this year, the previous September peak was set on September 1, 2021, when usage hit 72,370 MW. Last year, ERCOT power consumers also set 11 new all-time peak demand records and surpassed 80 gigawatts in usage for the first time. All this information can be found on the Peak Demand Records page, which ERCOT will update with each new record.
The Peak Demand Records page is accessible from the Helpful Resources page at www.ercot.com.
The grid operator notes that unofficial demands reported during or just after an operating day are preliminary and that the numbers may change slightly as the data goes through the settlement process.