In the south, day 14 of the record-breaking heatwave begins
The deadly and historic heatwave has entered its 14th day in the south. According to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, Texans used 81,000 megawatts of electricity Tuesday to keep cool.
A heatwave swept Texas for two weeks, with record triple-digit temperatures reported almost daily across much of the state. Temperatures aren’t the only thing setting records in the Lone Star State, however.
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which manages about 90% of the state’s electric grid, reported that “unofficial” monthly and all-time records for electricity demand were set on Tuesday as air conditioners appeared to whirr around the clock as Texans tried to beat the heat to defy.
Break peak demand records
A transmission tower is seen in Houston, Texas on July 11, 2022. (Brandon Bell / Getty Images)
According to ERCOT, the previous June record for electricity demand was set last year when 76,681 megawatts were consumed on June 23. On Tuesday, however, that record was broken when consumption peaked at 80,828 megawatts of electricity.
This number not only exceeds the June record, but also the all-time peak demand record in the ERCOT power grid. This record was already set on July 20, 2022, when 80,148 megawatts were consumed in one day. That means the record was broken about three weeks earlier than the previous all-time record.
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However, according to ERCOT, Tuesday’s measurement is preliminary, so the record-breaking statistic is unofficial.
“Official demand records will NOT be confirmed until settlements/data are finalized, which may take several days,” said an ERCOT spokesman.
load on the power grid
FILE – The sun sets behind power transmission lines in Texas, United States, on July 11, 2022. (Nick Wagner/Xinhua/Getty Images)
In the spring, ERCOT and the Public Utility Commission of Texas warned people of a shortage of “available energy,” or power that can be brought on short notice during “extreme summer conditions.”
“Data shows for the first time that peak electricity demand this summer will exceed what we can generate from on-demand power,” said former PUC Chairman Peter Lake.
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Texas utilities are no stranger to having their systems pushed to the limit by extreme weather conditions.
In 2021, a winter storm crippled the state’s power grid, leaving millions of Texans without power for days while temperatures were among the coldest in a decade.