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Texas power rates soar ahead of record-breaking Memorial Day weekend

Power costs in Texas skyrocketed for Friday with electric need anticipated to climax for the month of May for a 2nd time today, ahead of the long U.S. Memorial Day weekend as homes and organizations crank up air conditioners to escape a heat wave.

The Electric Dependability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which operates most of the state's power grid for 27 million consumers, said the system was operating normally with enough supply offered to meet expected need over the next week.

In the spot market, next-day power costs at the ERCOT North Center << EL-PK-ERTN-SNL >, that includes Dallas, skyrocketed to a. two-week high of$ 141 per megawatt hour( MWh )for Friday, up. from$ 21 for Thursday, according to pricing information on the LSEG. terminal. That compares to an average of$ 31 per MWh

so far this. year,$ 80 in 2023 and $66 over the previous five years( 2018-2022). Day-ahead costs on the ERCOT website, on the other hand, soared to.

$ 654 per MWh for one hour on Friday night. May-to-date real-time pricing is 50% higher than in any.

year since 2010 (except for the 2022 gas price blowout ). This results in more ineffective gas generators chewing. through more gas ... to keep the lights on, experts at. consultancy EBW Analytics Group stated in a note. ERCOT forecasted power need would peak at 75,118 megawatts.( MW) on Friday and 76,493 MW on Monday, Memorial Day, which. would top the current record for the month of May of 72,261 MW. set last Monday. The grid's all-time peak was 85,508 MW on Aug.

10, 2023. Experts anticipate ERCOT electrical use will top that all-time.

high this summertime with economic and population development in Texas. and demand for power from data centers, artificial intelligence. and cryptocurrency mining rising quick. One megawatt can typically power about 800 homes on a typical. day but as few as 250 on a hot summer season day in Texas. NEAR-RECORD HEAT Heats in Houston, the state's biggest city, will.

rise from 94 degrees Fahrenheit( 34 Celsius) on Friday to 96 F.( 36 C) on May 26-27 before relieving back to 94 F on May 28-29,. according to meteorologists at AccuWeather. The normal high in Houston at this time of year is 88 F( 31. C). AccuWeather stated the forecast high of 94 F( 34 C )for Friday. was approaching the record for the day of 95 F( 35 C) set in. 1955. ERCOT forecasted materials would surpass demand by 5,000 to. 42,000 MW over the next week with the 5,000 MW low anticipated. during one hour in the evening of May 26 after the sun goes down. and solar panels stop working. That comfy level of supply presumes nothing changes. However things constantly alter -power plants and transmission.

lines shut and return to service, weather forecasts modification and. storms cause blackouts. Previously this week, ERCOT stated it experienced the abrupt. loss of generation totaling 1,438 MW on Wednesday. That lowered.

materials. The outage was at Panda Energy's gas-fired power plant in. Temple and was most likely brought on by a tornado, according to energy. data and analytics company Wood Mackenzie. Panda Energy did not respond to ask for remark.

(source: Reuters)