Hourly peak load in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the regional transmission organization serving most of Texas, reached a record 91.1 gigawatts on July 22, 2026, according to data reported to the U.S. Energy Information Administration for its Hourly Electric Grid Monitor.
The July 22 peak was 6% greater than the previous peak of 85.5 GW, set on August 10, 2023 according to ERCOT, EIA noted. The July 22 peak occurred at 6:00 p.m. CT and was primarily met with generation from natural gas (48%) and solar (32%) resources according to data reported to EIA.
The peak occurred during a heat wave and could be surpassed again this summer, especially if Texas experiences another heat wave, EIA said, noting electricity demand and generation in ERCOT have been increasing in Texas.
More recently, electricity demand in the Southwest Power Pool reached a record 57.9 GW on July 27 at 5:00 p.m. CT.
"In regions with increasing electricity demand and generation, periods of high demand, such as heat waves, are likely to continue to set records," EIA said.
