By Tom Kleckner
ERCOT has broken the 70,000-MW barrier for the first time, setting six new systemwide hourly peak demand records this week.
The Texas grid operator registered its latest record peaks Thursday when system load reached 71,197 MW between 4 and 5 p.m., after having climbed to 71,043 MW between 3 and 4 p.m.
That smashed records set Wednesday (70,572 MW) and Monday (70,169 MW), which had bettered the previous mark of 69,877 MW set last August. The grid fell short of another record Friday, peaking in the 4 p.m. hour at 70,343 MW.
Real-time settlement prices spiked to $220.37/MWh systemwide at 2:15 p.m. Thursday. The Rayburn load zone was still settling at $228.72 at 4 p.m., with the Whitetail Wind Project in the congested North zone offered into the market at as much as $1,000.14 during the 4 p.m. hour.
ERCOT’s peak demand first surpassed 70,000 MW between 3 and 4 p.m. Monday, before setting a short-lived record between 4 and 5 p.m.
With triple-digit temperatures settling over the state, the Texas grid operator expected load to peak above 70,000 MW again Thursday between 4 and 6 p.m. Whether it sets a new record remains to be seen.
“Welcome to August,” ERCOT CEO Bill Magness told the Board of Directors Tuesday morning. “Usually, peak records set in August don’t normally last.”
Magness was quick to note ERCOT did not have to call an emergency alert Monday, saying, “It was a great performance by the system and the people who make it work.”
“These hot summer days always put our grid to the test,” said ERCOT’s director of system operations, Dan Woodfin, on Wednesday. “We have had sufficient generation available to carry us through these high-demand periods.”
ERCOT staff said it expects operating reserves to drop below 3,000 MW this week. Its final summer Seasonal Assessment of Resource Adequacy said the ISO had 78,434 MW of generation capacity available and projected a peak summer demand of 70,588 MW.
The Texas grid operator also set a new weekend peak demand record Sunday when it hit 67,000 MW.
Staff said it expects consumption to drop next week and believes it has sufficient generation as long as resources are available. ERCOT’s final summer Seasonal Assessment of Resource Adequacy said the ISO had 78,434 MW of generation capacity available and projected a peak summer demand of 70,588 MW.
