The Electric Reliability Council of Texas is forecasting a significant increase in electricity demand across the state in the next six years, citing the rapid growth of data centers as a contributing factor.
Data centers — large facilities filled with power-intensive IT equipment — are expected to drive a substantial portion of the projected demand. ERCOT Chief Operating Officer Woody Rickerson presented data Tuesday supporting the forecast, noting the growing strain such facilities could place on the state’s electric grid.
“All this new load growth is going to require more generation,” he said. “During the early 2000s, more than 27,000 megawatts of new gas generation was added over a five-year period”
To help meet that demand, Rickerson said ERCOT has expanded its generation capacity in recent years, largely through the addition of new wind and solar power resources.
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