Hourly peak load in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), the regional transmission organization serving most of Texas, reached a record 91.1 gigawatts (GW) on July 22, 2026, according to data published by the U.S. Energy Information Administration in its Today in Energy report, which draws on its Hourly Electric Grid Monitor. The figure is the highest demand ever recorded on the Texas grid, and analysts say further records remain possible before summer ends.
How far the old record fell
The July 22 peak was 6 percent greater than the previous peak of 85.5 GW, set on August 10, 2023, according to ERCOT. That gap of roughly 5.6 GW represents the output of several large power plants.
The difference underscores how rapidly electricity use across Texas has accelerated since the last major benchmark was established.
The grid handled the surge with no emergency alerts and operating reserves above 10 GW, according to an ERCOT spokesperson.
What powered the peak
The peak occurred at 6:00 p.m. CT and was primarily met with generation from natural gas, which contributed 48 percent, and solar, which contributed 32 percent, according to EIA data. The evening timing reflects a structural shift on the Texas grid: solar output falls sharply after midday, pushing critical scarcity hours later into the afternoon and early evening.
Batteries played a notable role as the sun set, with Texas having deployed more than 14 GW of grid-scale battery storage as of March 2026.
Texas is already on track to hold the largest share of U.S. utility-scale battery storage built this year, a buildout that has repeatedly proved its value during this summer’s heat events, as GCN reported earlier this year. The peak occurred during a heat wave and could be surpassed again this summer, especially if Texas experiences another heat wave, the EIA noted.
Structural demand growth behind the numbers
The record is not solely a weather story. ERCOT entered 2026 with more than 233 GW of large-load requests in its interconnection queue, and data centers make up about 77 percent of that total.
The EIA has noted that regions managed by ERCOT and PJM are expected to experience among the fastest growth in electricity demand from data centers in the coming years. ERCOT’s summer outlook projected a peak demand range of 90,500 to 98,000 MW for 2026, reflecting load that has already connected or is queued to connect, not merely a weather forecast.
The rapid expansion of grid-scale battery storage has become essential to managing the evening ramp that occurs as large volumes of solar generation roll off the system. The growing scale of grid batteries across the U.S., including their record-setting first quarter in 2026, has been tracked by GCN.
Broader regional pattern
Electricity demand in the Southwest Power Pool reached a record 57.9 GW on July 27 at 5:00 p.m. CT, according to the EIA. The SPP controls the grid over portions of Oklahoma and 13 other states, meaning the week of July 22 produced simultaneous all-time demand records across two of the country’s major grid footprints.
In regions with increasing electricity demand and generation, periods of high demand such as heat waves are likely to continue to set records, the EIA said.
With ERCOT’s own summer outlook projecting a peak demand range of roughly 90,500 MW to 98,000 MW for 2026, operators and market participants are watching closely for the next heat event that could challenge the July 22 mark.
