According to reports, Texans inside ERCOT consumed 87,403 MW of power on July 22, just as temperatures across the state soared past 100 degrees.
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ERCOT, the state’s primary electric grid operator, appears to have set at least two new demand records this week.
According to reports, Texans inside ERCOT consumed 87,403 MW of power on July 22, just as temperatures across the state soared past 100 degrees. That consumption level easily exceeds the record of 85,508 megawatts set in August 2023. Then, on July 23, Texans broke the peak usage record again when demand surged to 91,308 MW, according to unofficial reports.
The new unofficial records fall in line with earlier ERCOT predictions that demand inside Texas could surpass 92 GW this summer. However, the risk of a grid emergency nonetheless remains low. That is, the grid operator earlier put the chance of a grid emergency in June at 0.09 percent, in July at 0.21 percent, in August at 5.96 percent, and in September at 4.38 percent, according to reports. The percentage chance of full-scale outages if even smaller.
ERCOT also broke several other records during the week, according to reports. These include the record for maximum total energy storage discharged (11,980 MW) and maximum solar production (34,665 MW).