The Electric Reliability Council of Texas announced on Thursday that it has launched a new “Peak Demand Records Webpage” in a bid to be more transparent with electricity customers.
The new website shows current peak demand records for each year dating back to 2000.
“The new Peak Demand Records webpage increases public visibility into current and past record-breaking demand on the grid,” said ERCOT CEO Pablo Vegas, according to a news release. “Providing updated, readily available information on grid operations remains a key part of ongoing transparency in our communications with the public.”
ERCOT said the site will be regularly updated with each new record. To establish demand records, the grid operator said it would use the “integrated system load” for the full hour and would not count instantaneous loads.
“This summer, ERCOT set 10 new all-time peak demand records. ERCOT set an all-time peak demand record of 85,464 MW on August 10, 2023,” the news release states. Prior to 2023, the all-time peak usage record was 80,148 MW, set in July 2022.
“ERCOT set a new unofficial September peak demand record of 84,182 MW on Wednesday, September 8, 2023, surpassing the previous September peak of 83,911 MW set on September 7,” the release reads.
The previous September peak of 72,370 MW was set on September 1, 2021. Last year, ERCOT set 11 new peak demand records and surpassed 80 GWs for the first time.
The website says that 1 MW of electricity can power about 200 homes during periods of peak demand.
A glance at the records over the last two decades reveals just how much energy demand has increased in Texas over the years. In the year 2000, the peak demand record was 57,606 MW. Since then, peak demand has steadily crept upward.
In 2010, peak demand hit 65,766 MW. In 2020, that number was 74,376 MW.
ERCOT reported that grid conditions are normal as of September 15, and there is enough power to meet demand.