Texas expects record electric use this spring, summer, ERCOT reports

© Shutterstock

Texas is expected to have record electric use this spring and summer, according to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT).

The projection was released in ERCOT’s Seasonal Assessment of Resource Adequacy for the spring season (March-May). It also included a preliminary assessment for the summer season (June-September).

ERCOT expects there to be enough capacity to handle spring and summer electricity use. The spring estimate includes a 64,233 MW spring peak load forecast. Total resource capacity for the upcoming summer season is expected to be 82,417 MW. The preliminary SARA report includes summer usage estimates for a 76,696 MW summer peak load forecast. The final summer report will be released in early May.

“ERCOT has added new electric supply resources, and strong economic growth continues to push up demand in ERCOT,” ERCOT President and CEO Bill Magness said. “We expect grid operations to be very similar to last summer.”

The need to declare an energy emergency will depend on several factors, including demand, wind output, and the number of generators on outage on any given day. ERCOT and providers in the market are taking steps to make sure the system reliability can be maintained this spring and summer.

If an energy emergency is declared, grid operators can employ additional resources that are only available under these types of conditions. Also, the ERCOT wholesale market is designed to send appropriate price signals to encourage generators to be available when needed.

ERCOT manages the flow of electric power to more than 26 million Texas customers — representing about 90 percent of the state’s electric load.