PJM, ERCOT and Southwest Power Pool set summer peak electricity load records, EIA says

Three regional grid operators set records for peak hourly electricity load this summer, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).

PJM peaked at 162.6 gigawatts (GW) on July 2, 2026, 1.3% above its previous peak of 160.6 GW set on June 23, 2025, the EIA said. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) reached 91.1 GW on July 22, 6.5% above its prior record of 85.5 GW from August 2024. The Southwest Power Pool peaked at 58.0 GW on July 27, 3.5% above its earlier record of 56.0 GW from August 2023.

According to the EIA, most of these peaks occurred during regional heat waves amid the hottest summer on record nationally, which drove up demand for cooling.

Other operators came close to their records, the agency said. The California Independent System Operator reached 50.0 GW, and ISO New England reached 25.3 GW, both within 2% of their records. The New York Independent System Operator reached 31.1 GW, within 3% of its previous record in EIA data. The Midcontinent Independent System Operator peaked at 121.5 GW on June 30, the highest in EIA's hourly data but below the 127.1 GW peak it reported in 2011.

The EIA said the figures come from data reported by balancing authorities on Form EIA-930 and may be subject to reporting issues.

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Originally published by True News: https://truenews.bagleyenterprises.net/stories/137