AUSTIN, Texas (KXXV) — The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) filed a preliminary forecast projecting electricity demand will reach approximately 367,790 megawatts by 2032 during peak hours, more than four times the current all-time peak of 85,508 MW recorded in August 2023
One area where ERCOT attributes this increase is from their "Large Load Customer". These include data centers, cryptocurrency mining and industrial oil and gas processes.
ERCOT President and CEO Pablo Vegas acknowledged the projections are likely "higher than expected future load growth" and said the organization will work with state regulators to refine its forecasting methods.
ERCOT manages electricity for more than 27 million Texas customers, representing about 90% of the state's electric load.
