Triple-digit temperatures push hourly demand to new record levels twice in one day

AUSTIN, TX, Aug. 6, 2015 — In two consecutive hours today, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) system beat the all-time hourly demand record set the previous day, peaking at 68,912 megawatts (MW)* between 4 and 5 p.m.

At 68,538 MW*, hourly demand between 3 and 4 p.m. also beat Wednesday’s new record.

“We’re expecting demand to remain at very high levels as temperatures stay above 100 degrees the next few days in most of Texas,” Dan Woodfin, ERCOT director of System Operations said. “ERCOT will continue to monitor system conditions closely to ensure we are prepared to maintain overall reliability and protect the grid.”

Prior to establishing a new record of 68,459 MW* yesterday, the previous record — set in 2011 during the hottest summer in Texas history — stood for four years. One MW is enough to power about 200 homes during periods of peak demand.

The forecast by ERCOT Meteorologist Chris Coleman anticipates temperatures throughout the ERCOT region will remain in the triple digits through the middle of next week. See his forecast here(link is external).

Wind generation contributed about 3,400 MW during today’s peak.

Consumers can monitor ERCOT system conditions at www.ercot.com(link is external) or through the ERCOT Energy Saver mobile app, available free for Apple or Android devices.

Previous All-Time Peak Records*

• 68,459 MW — Aug. 5, 2015
• 68,305 MW — Aug. 3, 2011
• 67,929 MW — Aug. 2, 2011
• 66,841 MW — Aug. 1, 2011
• 65,776 MW — Aug. 23, 2010

*These numbers are preliminary and, in some cases, may include exports. Final demand records are subject to change, pending final settlement in the ERCOT market.

– Electricity Company in Texas, NEC Co-op Energy