ERCOT predicts up to 16% chance of emergency power conditions in August - KXAN [View all]

AUSTIN (Nexstar) — As Texans start to experience the beginning of another hot summer, the state’s power grid operators are raising concerns about the heat, grid reliability and the prospect of rolling blackouts.

In a Texas House State Affairs Committee hearing Monday, energy leaders testified to give updates about growth forecasts, the summer outlook and market design initiatives.

It comes after a Friday report in which the Electricity Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) said that by August, energy demand in Texas could reach as high as 78,000 megawatts. The state has a projected supply of 83,000 megawatts for August, which is typically the hottest month of the year.

ERCOT says the Texas grid is expected to keep up with the expected increased demand for power this summer, but it could get close. Following the second-hottest summer on record in Texas last year, the upcoming months are also expected to be a scorcher. In 2023, ERCOT repeatedly asked customers to voluntarily conserve their electricity as operators aimed to keep demand from exceeding supply.

Read more: https://www.kxan.com/news/texas/ercot-predicts-up-to-16-chance-of-emergency-power-conditions-in-august/