Rolling Blackouts In Texas This Summer Are Possible

Technically, Texas is at the end of spring as summer doesn't begin until June 20th, but temperatures haven't cared about the calendar. It's been hot around the Lonestar State and now a new report from ERCOT has some worried about the summer heat, the grid, and the possibility of rolling blackouts.

According to a report released this past Friday, ERCOT found that energy demand throughout the state could go as high as 78,000 megawatts in August which is typically the hottest month of the year. Houston Public Media reports that the projection is just below the state's projected supply of 83,000 megawatts for August. The report from ERCOT also states that there is a 12% chance that that reserves could fall below 1,500 megawatts. If that were to happen it could possibly trigger rolling blackouts in order to prevent a statewide failure of the grid.

In an interview with Houston Public Media, Ed Hirs, an energy fellow at the University of Houston, said he was skeptical of ERCOT's projection.

He said the projection relies on the state’s energy sources operating as expected, which may not be the case as temperatures continue to rise. According to Hirs, the increasing heat could cause issues at some power plants “because their coolant systems become overwhelmed.”

Since ERCOT doesn't maintain or operate the plants or invest in the power plants, ERCOT can only call them into service. Hirs told Houston Public Media that "it's a bit like herding cats".

The reliability of the grid has been in the spotlight since the winter storm in 2021 that left millions without power. There hasn't been a blackout on the grid since and Texas lawmakers continue to take a look at improvements that can be made.