Texas Power Prices Briefly Surpass $9,000 Amid Scorching Heat
- Texas grid operator expects to break Monday’s record demand
- Heat to peak on Tuesday, after temperatures top 100 degrees
Beating the heat, a tuber floats the Comal River in New Braunfels, Texas.
Photographer: Eric Gay/AP Photo
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Electricity prices in Texas soared to $9,000 a megawatt hour as the state’s grid operator called for energy conservation amid extreme heat scorching the region.
With temperatures in Dallas approaching 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius), the Electric Reliability Council of Texas warned that it was increasingly likely the electricity system could experience shortages -- a prospect that may prompt regulators to ease environmental restrictions and allow generators to run at maximum capacity. The region’s power supply cushion has fallen close to 2,500 megawatts, less than 5% of total demand on the system.