ERCOT sets 2 new demand records on Thursday
In two consecutive hours Thursday afternoon, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) system beat the all-time hourly demand record set the previous day, peaking at 68,912 megawatts (MW)* between 4 and 5 p.m.
At 68,538 MW*, hourly demand between 3 and 4 p.m. also beat Wednesday’s new record.
“We’re expecting demand to remain at very high levels as temperatures stay above 100 degrees the next few days in most of Texas,” Dan Woodfin, ERCOT director of System Operations said. “ERCOT will continue to monitor system conditions closely to ensure we are prepared to maintain overall reliability and protect the grid.”
Prior to establishing a new record of 68,459 MW* yesterday, the previous record — set in 2011 during the hottest summer in Texas history — stood for four years. One MW is enough to power about 200 homes during periods of peak demand.
