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Texas' power grid operator hit a new all-time record for electricity demand on Wednesday afternoon as the state grappled with heat advisories amid growing concern over the power needs of data centers across Texas.
Total statewide demand reached 91,308 megawatts at 5 p.m., according to preliminary data from the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the state's independent grid operator. One megawatt can power more than 200 Texas homes during periods of peak demand.
Wednesday's historic high for Texas energy consumption beat a preliminary record of 87,403 megawatts set just one day earlier. Previously, the state high of 85,508 megawatts had remained in place since August 10, 2023.
READ MORE: Get live temperature updates on the Houston Chronicle's heat tracker
As the scorching sun pushed Houston temperatures into triple digits and kept many residents blasting air conditioners to stay safe, solar power generated about a third of the grid's electricity.
"The broken record means that Texans used more electricity than ever before. But it doesn't mean that the grid is in crisis," said Matthew Boms, executive director of the trade group Texas Advanced Energy Business Alliance. Boms' association represents utility-scale solar companies, among other energy interests.
As Texas' energy use has continued to climb over the past several years, solar arrays have gained increasing prominence on the state's grid. In 2025, for the first time ever, solar provided more electricity to the grid than coal-fired power.
While Texas leads the nation in solar deployment, the industry has faced resistance from prominent state officials as lawmakers filed a flurry of bills aimed at restricting the renewable energy industry during the 2025 session. The bills failed to pass.
Solar's growing market share has coincided with an increase in other types of power generation, including gas plants, a popular choice for AI data centers. The market has also seen a boost from improved battery storage on the grid, which helps solar generation remain viable during the high-demand sunset hours.
"On these hot days, we can rely on that solar output being really high," Boms said.
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ERCOT spokeswoman Trudi Webster confirmed that the grid operated under normal conditions through the peak.
"ERCOT continues a reliability-first approach to grid operations and will continue to operate the grid conservatively, bringing generating resources online early to mitigate sudden changes in generation or demand," Webster said.
She cautioned that the exact usage figure from today's record could shift, since unofficial demand figures reported during an operating day are later verified before becoming official.
If confirmed, Wednesday's power demand record would outstrip the state's previous record in 2023 by over 5 gigawatts, enough to power more than a million Texas homes during peak summer demand.
ERCOT's power demand records this week were not wholly unexpected. The grid operator had forecast rising demand due to a number of factors, including data center growth, increased population and the searing summer temperatures expected across the state.
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