Texas used more electricity in a single hour this summer than ever before, and the state's main power grid was one of three in the country to set a new demand record, the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported Thursday.
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which runs the grid serving most of the state, hit a peak of 91.1 gigawatts on July 22, according to hourly data utilities report to the federal agency. That was 6.5% above the grid's previous high of 85.5 gigawatts.
Two other regional grid operators also set records. PJM peaked at 162.6 gigawatts on July 2, and the Southwest Power Pool reached 58 gigawatts on July 27. EIA said most of the peaks came during regional heat waves in what it described as the hottest summer on record nationwide, which pushed up air-conditioning demand.
How Texas met the peak
In an earlier analysis of the July 22 record, EIA said the Texas peak came at 6 p.m. Central time. Natural gas plants supplied 48% of the power at that hour and solar supplied 32%, based on the data reported to the agency.
The record arrives as ERCOT demand keeps climbing. EIA noted in July that electricity use and generation in Texas have been rising, and that regions where demand is growing are likely to keep setting records during heat waves.
