Jan 22 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Elizabeth Souder The Dallas Morning News


Texans used about 1.7 percent more electricity in 2008 than the prior year, according to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, even as U.S. demand for power declined.

U.S. power plants generated 1.1 percent less electricity from January to October in 2008 compared with the same period in 2007, according to the most recent data from the Department of Energy. By October, Texans had used 2.3 percent more power than the previous year, according to ERCOT, which operates most of the state's power grid. ERCOT data exclude some areas of the state.

Americans used less power as the economy slowed and industrial production dropped. In Texas, the economy has remained more resilient than the total U.S. economy, resulting in more demand for juice.

The ERCOT data, released on Thursday, also show that Texas relied more heavily on wind power in 2008 than the previous year, and less on natural gas, coal and nuclear power plants. Wind farms contributed 4.9 percent of the state's power last year, up from 2.9 percent in 2007.

The percentage of natural gas generation dropped to 43 percent from 45.5 percent. Industry officials typically blame natural gas prices for the fact that Texas' electricity rates are higher than the national average.

Coal-fired plants generated 37.1 percent of the power used within the ERCOT grid, down from 37.4 percent. The nuclear portion dropped to 13.2 percent from 13.4 percent.

For the total U.S., natural gas plants contributed 21.6 percent of power from January to October of 2008, and coal plants contributed 48.2 percent, according to DOE data. Nuclear contributed 19.3 percent.

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