Texas Power Grid Under Strain Amid Record Heat and Demand

People are also reading: Does cracking your garage door keep your home cooler? How to stay cool amid Texas heat

ERCOT Reports Record-High Power Demand

The demand on the Texas power grid reached an all-time high on Tuesday, according to a spokesperson for the Electricity Reliability Council of Texas told the Dallas Morning News. With much of the state under an excessive heat warning, demand peaked at 85,559 megawatts late in the afternoon, surpassing the previous record of 85,508 megawatts set last August.

Factors contributing to the demand include high temperatures, Texas' growing population, and industrial users like data centers and cryptocurrency mining. Texas operates its own power grid to avoid federal regulation.

While power remained largely unaffected statewide by midday Wednesday, Harris County reported around 8,500 customers experiencing outages.

In June, ERCOT predicted August challenges, including an increased likelihood of an emergency alert during peak hours. The report warned, "Reserve shortage risks are the highest during the evening hours...when daily loads are typically near their highest levels and solar production is ramping down."

Walt Baum, CEO of the electric energy advocacy group Powering Texans, reinforced the need for additional power generation capacity. “It’s important to note that ERCOT’s recent monthly outlook for August is intended to help prepare for all possible scenarios, including a worst-case scenario that would see demand peak for a limited amount of time," Baum said.

Houston to Get Battery Energy Storage System

As Harris County faces outages, energy company Jupiter Power announced the completion of its 400 megawatt hours (MWh) dispatchable power facility. The Callisto I battery energy storage system (BESS) aims to provide reliable zero-emissions power. Located in central Houston near the Medical Center and the Houston ship channel, the plant can support an additional 400MW/800MWh of battery storage generation.