Record Use Posted for Texas Power Grid

Aug 24 - Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Fort Worth, Texas)

Temperatures that sizzled above 100 and the heavy use of air conditioners sent the Texas electricity grid to record use Tuesday.

The grid reported a load of 60,279 megawatts between 4 and 5 p.m., the usual peak hours, according to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT, operator of the state's electricity-transmission grid.

"We're still within our generation capa city of almost 70,000 megawatts," said Kent Saathoff, director of system operations for ERCOT, the industry consortium that regulates electrical distribution. "If high temperatures continue this week, we may break the record again." The previous record of 60,095 megawatts was set Aug. 7, 2003. A megawatt of electricity can power about 700 average homes.

Officials had braced for record demand because of hot weather, the reopening of Texas' K-12 public schools and move-in week at most Texas colleges and universities.

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