Texas Power Usage Sets New Monthly Record Amid Heatwave, Reports Reuters

Power demand in Texas reached a new monthly high on Thursday and is expected to surpass this record on Friday as residents rely heavily on air conditioning to cope with an ongoing spring heatwave.

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which manages the electric grid for most of the state, reported that conditions were stable early Friday.

During the onset of the heatwave, ERCOT had to request that customers conserve electricity on May 13 due to unexpected shutdowns at several power plants, which led to real-time prices soaring above $4,000 per megawatt hour (MWh). However, prices have since stabilized, remaining below $100 per MWh since Wednesday night.

The extreme weather has evoked memories of the February 2021 freeze, which left millions without power, water, and heat for days amidst a severe storm, while ERCOT was working to avert a grid failure after significant generation losses.

Forecasts predict that high temperatures in Houston, Texas’s largest city, will reach the low 90s Fahrenheit (33.3 Celsius) on Friday and Saturday, contrasting with the average high of 87 degrees for this time of year.

ERCOT reported that demand peaked at 71,160 megawatts (MW) on Thursday, projected to rise to 72,792 MW on Friday. Thursday’s peak surpassed the previous May record of 70,804 MW set just two days earlier, yet it remains below the all-time high of 74,820 MW recorded in August 2019.

On a typical day, one megawatt can supply power to around 1,000 homes in the U.S., but during a hot summer day in Texas, that number drops to about 200 homes.

Looking ahead, ERCOT anticipates that continued economic growth will drive peak demand to 77,317 MW this summer. The addition of wind and solar energy sources over the past year has increased the available power resources for the summer to 91,392 MW.