Wind, Gas Keep Ercot Cool as Heat Wave Peaks

摘要

Temperatures have finally backed down a bit in Texas, but not before demand hit yet another record twice in one day during the recent heat wave, besting the 2011 record set during the hottest summer in Texas' recorded history. On Aug. 10, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (Ercot), operator of the electric grid for 90% of the Lone Star State, hit a peak demand load of 69,783 megawatts in the early afternoon - just an hour after attaining another record peak - marking the first time the Ercot system broke the 69,000 MW threshold. Nonetheless, Ercot was able to weather the event without implementing system emergencies. The previous record of 68,912 MW was set Aug. 6. Records were also broken Aug. 5 and Aug. 3 (NGW Aug.10'15). Ercot currently has more than 74,000 MW of generation capacity of which wind accounts for more than 12,000 MW, the most of any state in the nation.