Weather & Science
Blazing Heat to Test Texas Grid With Record-Breaking Demand
- Ercot electricity use may hit almost 77.5 Gigawatts Tuesday
- Sustained heat to spur consumers to crank up air conditioners
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Scorching heat across Texas is expected to repeatedly drive electricity demand to all-time highs this week, likely serving as the biggest test to the state grid since last year’s deadly winter storm that left millions in the dark.
Power demand is expected to peak at almost 77.5 gigawatts Tuesday around 5 p.m. local time, toppling the August 2019 record of 74.8 gigawatts, according to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the state’s main grid operator. A gigawatt is enough to power about 200,000 Texas homes. The grid operator said it expects sufficient generation to meet forecasted demand.