Batteries, Solar Help ERCOT Meet Record Winter Peak

AI generated summary

ERCOT set a new winter demand peak of 80.63 GW on February 20, surpassing the previous record of 79 GW established just a day earlier. This unprecedented demand was driven by a late-winter Arctic blast that brought freezing temperatures across Texas, including Houston. Despite the high demand, ERCOT maintained a healthy operating reserve margin of nearly 7 GW, indicating sufficient supply to meet the increased needs. The current winter demand record is still pending official confirmation following ERCOT's settlement process.

Renewable energy sources, particularly solar and battery storage, played a crucial role in meeting this demand, contributing 35% during the peak. On February 20, solar resources generated 22.92 GW, while energy storage reached a record output of 4,587 MW. ERCOT CEO Pablo Vegas emphasized the importance of the additional supply, which includes over 13 GW added since last winter, in ensuring reliability during cold weather events. Despite some fluctuations in real-time prices, ERCOT declared a weather watch due to the extreme cold and anticipated higher demand, while forecasting that grid conditions would remain normal.