Overview
- This week ERCOT projected a likely new summer peak of about 92,211 megawatts, which would exceed the 2023 record and reflects forecasts for a hotter season and rising industrial demand.
- In May tests and simulations ERCOT found four groups of large electricity users, including data centers and crypto facilities, abruptly disconnected or failed voltage ride-through requirements, creating a risk of destabilizing the grid through sudden demand drops.
- ERCOT’s board approved two rule packages to tighten interconnection standards, create a Batch Zero process with nonrefundable fees and readiness milestones, and require ride-through capability for major new loads, with the Texas Public Utility Commission set to review the changes.
- The grid operator is reviewing about 20 gigawatts of proposed large-customer connections and is developing operational contingencies such as additional Congestion Management Plans that could allow localized load-shedding if specific contingencies materialize.
- Growth in wind, solar and batteries has bolstered reliability since 2021 even as thermal generation stayed flat, but developers have requested roughly 450 gigawatts of new load and that imbalance could raise costs for consumers and slow or reshape how large data centers and crypto sites proceed.