ERCOT load continues to reach record highs

Texas's power grid has been setting demand records all summer. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which manages the grid for most of the state, hit a peak of 91 gigawatts on July 22, and the six weeks from late July through late August all topped the previous record set in 2023. Sustained hot weather is the main driver, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

For homeowners in ERCOT territory, this matters mostly for what it says about summer electric bills and grid strain during heat waves. Solar power has been playing a bigger role in meeting these peaks: on the day of the July 22 record, solar supplied about a third of the electricity, with natural gas providing most of the rest. One energy analyst noted that Texas has repeatedly broken records this year without declaring grid emergencies, crediting the growth in solar capacity for keeping supply steady even as demand climbs. ERCOT itself says it expects to have enough generation to meet demand through the summer.

Separately, ERCOT is reviewing around 300 proposals from data centers wanting to connect to the grid, part of an audit expected to wrap up by December, following a moratorium on new data center connections ordered by the Texas governor. Data centers use large amounts of electricity, and how that review turns out could affect how much new demand gets added to the grid in coming years, and in turn, how tight supply is during future heat waves.