During high temperatures on Wednesday, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) system set an all-time record for hourly demand, with peak demand for electricity reaching 68,459 MW between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. local time.
The grid operator says wind generation contributed about 2,500 MW during the day's peak, noting that one megawatt is enough to power about 200 homes during such periods.
The previous all-time record, set on Aug. 3, 2011, was 68,305 MW, during an extended period of record-high temperatures.
‘We appreciate the work generation and transmission providers in the ERCOT region have put into preparing the system for ever-increasing electric demand as the Texas economy continues to grow,’ comments ERCOT Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Brad Jones.
ERCOT Meteorologist Chris Coleman predicts temperatures throughout the region will remain in the triple digits through early next week.
‘With temperatures expected to continue to rise [Thursday] and Friday, we likely will see even higher demand the remainder of the week,’ notes Jones.
