Texas Grid Faces Biggest Test of Summer With Extreme Heat

Texas is facing its biggest test of the summer this week to keep the power on — and air conditioners running — as temperatures hit triple digits and push electricity consumption to all-time highs.

Power use on the state grid may reach 86 gigawatts by 5 p.m. Monday and then test that level again Tuesday, according to the state’s grid operator. The record of 85.5 gigawatts was set a year ago in August. Parts of Texas face dangerous heat on Monday with an afternoon high at the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport forecast to hit 110F (43C). One gigawatt can power about 200,000 homes in Texas.

Extreme weather conditions have caused the Texas grid to falter, causing widespread power outages and sending energy costs soaring. During a winter storm in February 2021, power failures and fuel shortages left millions of people in the dark for days. More than 200 people died.

Related: Fall Forecast Calls for Stubborn Heat, Increased Wildfire Risks, Severe Weather

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which operates the grid, warned of potential tight operating conditions through the heat wave, but says it expects to have enough supplies to meet needs. Power prices topped $500 a megawatt-hour for 7-8 p.m. local time in the day-ahead market, the highest hourly price in two weeks, according to grid data compiled by Arcus Power’s Nrgstream market data service.

So far this summer, the grid has been operating smoothly. Significantly higher solar power has met afternoon peaks while batteries have kicked in at sunset. While it’s been hot in Texas, it’s not been the same intense blazing heat that drove power use to all-time highs 21 times in the last two summers.

Top Photo: Power lines in Austin, Texas. (Jordan Vonderhaar/Bloomberg)