NEWS RELEASE: Electric Reliability Council of Texas

ERCOT sets new peak demand record

Power use expected to be high all week; Conservation requested

Austin, Aug.1, 2011 -- The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, Inc. (ERCOT), system operator for the state’s bulk transmission grid, set a new electricity demand record with 66,867 megawatts (MW) today between 4 and 5 p.m. and is expecting to break the record again this week.

"Due to the high temperatures and high electricity usage expected this week, we are continuing to request that consumers and businesses reduce their electricity use during peak electricity hours from 3 to 7 p.m. for Tuesday and the remainder of the week," said Kent Saathoff, vice president of system planning and operations.

The new peak demand exceeds the previous all-time record of 65,776 MW (Aug. 23, 2010) by 1,091 MW. One megawatt of power is enough electricity to power about 200 homes in Texas during hot weather when air conditioners are running for long periods of time.

The peak demand forecast for Tuesday is 67,084 MW, as of Monday evening. Demand could go higher on Wednesday and Thursday. The forecast will be updated closer to real-time operating day.

For more information, see news release. Aug.1, 3 p.m.:

http://www.ercot.com/news/press_releases/show/403

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, Inc., (ERCOT) manages the flow of electric power to approximately 23 million Texas customers – representing 85 percent of the state's electric load and 75 percent of the Texas land area. As the Independent System Operator for the region, ERCOT schedules power on an electric grid that connects 40,500 miles of transmission lines and more than 550 generation units. ERCOT also manages financial settlement for the competitive wholesale bulk-power market and administers customer switching for 6.6 million Texans in competitive choice areas. ERCOT is a membership-based 501(c)(4) nonprofit corporation, governed by a board of directors and subject to oversight by the Public Utility Commission of Texas and the Texas Legislature.