Top navigation skipped
Energy is Good for Texas
Electric Reliability Council of Texas ERCOT
The Texas Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), established in 1970, is an independent, nonprofit corporation that oversees the reliable transmission of electricity across the state of Texas. ERCOT is governed by an 11-member board of directors. These 11 members are composed of consumer representatives, independent members, members from electricity utility market groups and the CEO of ERCOT, as well as the Texas Public Utility Council Chair and the Public Counsel of the Office of Public Utility Counsel.
ERCOT Responsibilities:
- Maintain system reliability.
- Facilitate a competitive wholesale market.
- Facilitate a competitive retail market.
- Ensure open access to transmission.
Texas Energy Grid
ERCOT serves more than 26 million Texans.
The Texas Interconnection provides more than 86,000 megawatts of energy and 52,000 miles of high voltage transmission lines to Texas.
There are three main electric
grids that cover the United States:
The Western Interconnection, the Eastern Interconnection and the Texas Interconnection.
Texas is the only contiguous state with its own electric grid, which serves 214 of the 254 Texas counties.
ERCOT Facts
ERCOT’s all-time peak demand record was 85,435 MW, set on Aug. 10, 2023.
ERCOT manages the flow of electric power to more than 26 million Texans, representing 90 percent of the state’s electric load.
ERCOT schedules power on an electric grid that connects more than 52,700 miles of transmission lines and 1,100 generation units.
View energy sources.
| Energy Source | Maximum Capacity Megawatts (MW) | Current Capacity Generation (MW) |
|---|---|---|
| Natural Gas | 69,890 | 46,014 |
| Solar | 20,809 | 12,736 |
| Coal and Lignite | 14,321 | 11,732 |
| Wind | 38,695 | 6,381 |
| Nuclear | 5,448 | 4,936 |
| Power Storage | 4,695 | 129 |
| Hydro | 600 | 115 |
| Other | 113 | 105 |
| Total | 154,571 | 82,148 |
Source: ERCOT
The Texas Interconnection receives energy from various sources such as wind, solar, hydro, natural gas, coal, nuclear and more. While each energy source has a specific maximum capacity, total actual generation by source varies daily.
This is one in a series of reports the Comptroller has prepared on energy in Texas.
See more information on energy Issues and the Texas economy.
Questions?
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the material on this page, please contact the Comptroller’s Data Analysis and Transparency Division.