ERCOT hits 3 peak demand records in one day during heat wave
A summer heatwave has sent load higher in several regions, but in the Lone Star State last week, the impact was most impressive.
The previous July peak was set two years ago, at 67.7 GW. Last week, in three consecutive hourly blocks, ERCOT peak load rose from 67.8 GW to 68.5 GW to almost 68.8 GW.
But while ERCOT officials do not expect trouble in meeting demand this season, the region does face shrinking summer reserve margins. The grid operator’s Seasonal Assessment of Resource Adequacy said summer reserves would fall from 18.9% in 2018 to 9.6% in 2027, likely due to load growth as the state’s economy continues to grow.
Last year, the grid’s peak demand surpassed 70,000 MW nine times — and peaked at 71,110 MW. ERCOT is adding more resources. More than 10,000 MW of planned resources are included for 2018, adding more than 5 GW of capacity to meet anticipated summer peaks.
