AUSTIN (Talk1370.com) -- State electricity regulators say the state's power grid will have "no trouble" keeping up with demand, as the hottest days of a Texas summer get closer.
Peter Lake, chairman of the Public Utility Commission of Texas, and Brad Jones, interim president of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, told reporters on Thursday that operators and regulators alike are focusing on operational changes to make the state's grid more reliable.
"The lights are going to stay on, and your bill should not change," said Lake.
High humidity could push heat index values to more than 100 degrees in parts of the state next week, with slightly above normal air temperatures in the forecast.
Jones said ERCOT is forecasting a demand of 74,000 megawatts next week. Last summer, the record high was set at 74,800 megawatts; this year, ERCOT is projecting a new peak of more than 77,000 megawatts.
"Based on all of our expectations, all of our forecasts, we believe we have plenty of generation to meet the needs of Texans," said Jones.
The operational changes, Lake said, will come with a regulatory overhaul of the way the electric market is structured. "Historically our market has focused on affordability first, reliability second," said Lake. "But now, reliability is first."