The Texas power grid has broken all-time records for power demand four times this month, the latest yesterday when Texans were using 76,592 megawatts of electricity in mid-afternoon.
Photo: ERCOT
And the state is on the verge of breaking the record again today with ERCOT forecasting that demand could reach nearly 78,300 megawatts by 4 p.m., possibly forcing a dip into power reserves.
One megawatt is enough electricity to power about 200 homes on a hot summer day. Temperatures over the next three days are forecast to exceed 100 degrees in many parts of the state, including the Houston area.
ERCOT says it has more than 3,800 megawatts in reserves, enough to meet demand. They have not issued any conservation notices, but several large electricity retailers sent emails to their customers Thursday asking that they conserve power through today's peak hours.
It has been estimated that ERCOT, overseen by the Public Utility Commission of Texas, has recently spent more than half a billion dollars buying more reserve power and changing its operations to bring more power online sooner in tight grid conditions.