Texas Grid Sets Records as a Brutal Heat Wave Grips the State

A punishing late-July heat wave drove Texas electricity use to an all-time high — and this time, the grid handled it without breaking a sweat.

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which runs the power system for most of the state, logged a record of roughly 91,300 megawatts of demand on July 22, topping the previous peak of 85,508 megawatts set in August 2023. A day earlier, demand had already reached 87,403 megawatts. Triple-digit temperatures blanketed much of Texas, with "feels-like" readings of 110 to 115 in the Houston area.

No conservation calls

Despite the strain, ERCOT did not issue a grid emergency or ask Texans to cut back. When the record hit, the system still had more than 20,000 megawatts of headroom between demand and available supply. A rapid buildout of solar generation and battery storage has given the grid far more cushion on scorching afternoons than it had just a few years ago.

Grid officials had planned for a record-setting summer, previously projecting demand could top 92,000 megawatts.

Sources: Houston Public Media, Community Impact.