Texas has had its share of power grid woes, and it may soon have more issues to contend with. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT, the state's main power grid operator, has issued an updated prediction on the state's future power needs, and it's a concerning one if it comes to fruition: that the Lone Star State will need to provide nearly double the amount of power by 2030 to meet demand, reports the Texas Tribune.
- Numbers: Last year's demand on Texas' electrical grid was also a record-breaking one, at 85 gigawatts. ERCOT analysts say that in six years' time, that figure could reach 150GW.
- Reason I: Besides Texas' increasing population, the Tribune cites a substantial jump in requests to jump on the grid from larger customers, such as oil and gas companies and data centers for AI, hydrogen production facilities, and crypto. The Austin Chronicle blames bitcoin and other firms in the Permian Basin for more than half of the new demand.