The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) system today set an all-time record for hourly demand, with peak demand for electricity reaching 68,459 megawatts (MW)* today between 4 and 5 p.m.
“We appreciate the work generation and transmission providers in the ERCOT region have put into preparing the system for ever-increasing electric demand as the Texas economy continues to grow,” ERCOT Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Brad Jones said.
The previous all-time record, set on Aug. 3, 2011, was 68,305 MW, during an extended period of record high temperatures. One MW is enough to power about 200 homes during periods of peak demand.
“With temperatures expected to continue to rise tomorrow and Friday, we likely will see even higher demand the remainder of the week,” said Jones. “ERCOT will continue to monitor system conditions closely to determine whether voluntary conservation is needed by consumers to maintain overall reliability and protect the grid.”
ERCOT Meteorologist Chris Coleman predicts temperatures throughout the region will remain in the triple digits through early next week. See his forecast here.
Wind generation contributed about 2,500 MW during today’s peak.
Consumers can monitor ERCOT system conditions at www.ercot.com or through the ERCOT Energy Saver mobile app, available free for Apple or Android devices.
*These numbers are preliminary. Final demand records are subject to change, pending final settlement in the ERCOT market.
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) manages the flow of electric power to nearly 24 million Texas customers, representing about 90 percent of the state’s electric load. As the independent system operator for the region, ERCOT schedules power on an electric grid that connects more than 43,000 miles of transmission lines and 550 generation units. ERCOT also performs financial settlement for the competitive wholesale bulk-power market and administers retail switching for more than 7 million premises in competitive choice areas. ERCOT is a membership-based 501(c)(4) nonprofit corporation, governed by a board of directors and subject to oversight by the Public Utility Commission of Texas and the Texas Legislature.