ERCOT reported a 2.2% increase in energy usage within its region of Texas in 2015, fueled by a record-breaking summer that brought a new peak demand record approaching 70,000 MW.
The Texas grid operator released a report Jan. 15 that indicated the system consumed 347,522,945 MWh of electricity last year, nearly 7.5 million MWh more than in 2014.
According to ERCOT’s 2015 Demand and Energy Report, wind accounted for 11.7% of the grid’s energy consumption, surpassing nuclear (11.3%) as a generating source for the first time. In 2010, the nuclear and wind numbers stood at 13.1% and 7.8%, respectively.
Natural gas remains the primary fuel at 48.3% — a 17.5% increase over its 2014 share — with coal supplying 28.1%.
ERCOT’s system set a series of peak demand records in August during the region’s hottest summer since 2011. By summer’s end, the system had topped 67,000 MW of demand for the first time in four years, eventually setting a new peak demand of 69,877 MW and recording its five highest peak demands:
- 10: 69,877 MW
- 11: 69,775 MW
- 6: 68,979 MW
- 7: 68,731 MW
- 5: 68,683 MW
ERCOT also set new records for monthly energy use (36,975,136 MWh in July), July peak demand (67,650 MW) and weekend peak demand (66,587 MW on Aug. 8).
ERCOT manages about 90% of Texas’ electric load, representing 24 million customers. It estimates 1 MW serves about 200 homes during summer peak demand and about 500 homes during milder weather conditions.
— Tom Kleckner
