Texas power use set to hit all-time record; ERCOT says it can handle
Power demand in Texas broke the June record on Monday and looks set to keep climbing until it breaks the all-time high later this week, Reuters reports, as hot weather causes homes and businesses to crank up their air conditioners.
ERCOT, which operates the grid for more than 26M customers, said it has enough resources available to meet anticipated demand.
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AccuWeather forecasts temperatures in Houston will rise from the low 90s Fahrenheit early this week to 101 by Saturday, compared with a normal high of 91 for this time of year.
ERCOT said demand rose to 72,386 MW on June 6, topping the prior June record of 70,257 MW in 2021, and expects peak demand will climb to 75,858 MW on Tuesday and keep rising every day this week, topping the grid's all-time high of 74,820 MW set in August 2019.
The grid operator has said the addition of wind and solar plants over the past year raised the amount of power resources available this summer to 91,392 MW.
NRG Energy shares were downgraded at Bank of America on Tuesday following a recent run higher.