As Texas braces for another scorching summer, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) is preparing for what could be a record-breaking surge in electricity demand—forecasting an unprecedented peak of 87.5 gigawatts. That figure would surpass the previous record of 85.5 GW set in August 2023, driven by a combination of extreme heat, explosive population growth, and rising electricity needs from data centers, artificial intelligence systems, and industrial activity.
To stabilize the grid under mounting pressure, ERCOT is deploying a mix of emergency solutions and long-term infrastructure improvements.
Power on Wheels: Mobile Generators Deployed
In partnership with CenterPoint Energy and LifeCycle Power, ERCOT has rolled out 15 large mobile generators, strategically positioned at nine substations around San Antonio. Each generator provides approximately 30 megawatts, adding up to a total of 450 MW in fast-ramping backup capacity. Unlike older gas plants that take hours to activate, these mobile units can respond within minutes to sudden drops in supply or spikes in demand.
Keeping an Aging Plant Online
ERCOT is also keeping the decades-old Braunig Unit 3 gas plant in operation, despite its previous retirement schedule. The plant, which provides another 400 MW of power, has undergone extensive repairs totaling more than $59 million. While it is slower to bring online—sometimes requiring up to 24 hours—it offers a stabilizing energy source when intermittent renewables fluctuate.
Trouble Near of San Antonio
Grid operators are particularly concerned about overloaded and aging transmission infrastructure around San Antonio. These transmission bottlenecks, if left unaddressed, could cause local blackouts or even ripple effects across the state’s grid. To reduce that risk, the mobile generators are being used as a short-term buffer until new infrastructure, including the San Antonio South Reliability II Project, comes online between 2026 and 2029.
Risk of Rolling Blackouts Falls
Thanks to these emergency efforts, ERCOT says the risk of rolling blackouts this August has dropped to less than 1%—a significant improvement from the 12% risk projected just last summer. That’s due not only to backup generation but also to increased investments in battery storage and solar power, which have helped stabilize the grid during the evenings, when solar production drops but electricity use remains high.
Paid by the People
All of these emergency actions come at a cost—covered by ratepayers across the state. The mobile generators alone cost an estimated $54 million. When combined with Braunig’s repair bills and other grid upgrades, Texans can expect to see the price of reliability reflected in their monthly utility bills.
Looking Ahead
ERCOT’s efforts are part of a broader push to future-proof Texas’s electric grid in an era of rapid change. With AI workloads and high-tech manufacturing pushing energy demand ever higher, and extreme weather events growing more frequent, grid resilience has become one of the state’s top priorities.
For now, ERCOT says it’s ready. But the real test will come when the next heatwave hits.