The Electric Reliability Council of Texas set a winter peak demand record of 57,958 MW on Monday morning, beating a five-year-old record of 57,282 MW, the grid operator said.
ERCOT also set a wind output record of 15,195 MW on Saturday, topping the previous high at 15,033 MW set November 27.
The winter peak record was set between 7-8 am CST Monday as freezing temperatures blanketed the state, marking the first major winter storm of the season after a fairly mild winter last year.
Temperatures across Texas were near freezing, with highs ranging from 36 degrees in Dallas to 46 in Houston, and lows from 13 degrees to 28 degrees. The average December high temperature across ERCOT is in the upper 50s to the mid-60s, with average lows in the upper 30s to the upper 40s.
The cold snap has not impacted the real-time market as real-time prices across all hubs averaged around $34.75/MWh from 7-8 am CST Monday. ERCOT North Hub day-ahead on-peak dropped $2 to the low $30s/MWh for Tuesday delivery on Intercontinental Exchange, while balance-of-the-week and next-week real-time on-peak were coming in at the upper $20s/MWh.
High temperatures across Texas are forecast at 50-54 degrees Tuesday, up from Monday's 36-46, with lows at 20-27 degrees, up from Monday's 13-28.
