Texas holds all-time energy demand records as historic heatwave continues

A heatwave has gripped Texas for two weeks, with record triple-digit temperatures reported across swathes of the state almost every day. However, temperatures aren’t the only thing setting records in the Lone Star State.

The Texas Electrical Reliability Board, which administers About 90% of the state’s power gridreported that “unofficial” monthly records for electricity demand were hit on Tuesday as air conditioners hum seemingly around the clock as Texans try to beat the heat.

Break peak demand records

According to ERCOT, the previous record was in June for power demand last year, when 76,681 megawatts were used on June 23. But on Tuesday, that record was broken when usage peaked at 80,828 megawatts of electricity.

This not only breaks the June record, but also the all-time peak demand record on the ERCOT power grid. This record was previously set on July 20, 2022, with 80,148 MW used in one day. This means that the record was broken about three weeks before the time of the last record ever recorded.

At least 9 deaths have been reported in a Texas community during raging heat waves

According to ERCOT, the measurement as of Tuesday is preliminary, making the standard statistic unofficial.

An ERCOT spokesperson said: “Formal application records are not confirmed until reconciliations/data are completed which could take several days.”

power grid stress

In the spring, ERCOT and the Texas Public Utilities Commission warned people of a lack of “distributable power,” or power that can be delivered online on short notice, in “extreme summer conditions.”

“The data shows for the first time that peak electricity demand this summer will exceed the amount of distributeable power we can generate on demand,” said Peter Lake, former head of the PUC.

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Texas utility companies are no stranger to pushing their systems to the limit because of severe weather.

In 2021, a winter storm knocked out the state’s grid, leaving millions of Texans without power for several days during some of the coldest temperatures in a decade.