The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) reported on August 10 that, for the first time ever, hourly demand on its grid had exceeded the 69,000 MW threshold – with peak demand for electricity reaching 69,783 MW between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m.; and 69,408 MW between 3 and 4 p.m.
Temperatures in Texas topped out on August 10 in the 98-108°Fahrenheit (F) range. The hottest temperatures were across North and Northeast Texas – at 104°F to 107°F.
ERCOT had previously broken all-time peak records twice before this month, with 68,912 MW on August 6 and 68,459 MW on August 5. Before that, the independent system operator (ISO) had not hit comparable peaks since August 2011, when the system handled 68,305 MW on August 3, and 67,929 MW on Aug. 2. One MW is enough to power about 200 homes during periods of peak demand.
"The ERCOT system has been performing very well through the triple-digit temperatures we’ve been experiencing," said ERCOT Chief Operating Officer Brad Jones. "Today is no exception as operating reserves remained above 3,000 MW throughout this record peak."
Consumers can monitor system conditions on the ERCOT website or via the ERCOT Energy Saver mobile app, available free for Apple or Android devices.
