The growth of industrial- scale users of power could strain the Texas power grid, ERCOT’s chief announced last week. The Dallas Morning News reported Pablo Vegas, the agency’s CEO, said bitcoin miners and artificial intelligence data centers going in across the state, as well as industrial growth in the Permian Basin, could create the need for a massive buildup of power transmission lines in the future.
ERCOT is forecasting a 37% jump in power demand from industrial-sized users, even more than earlier predicted. It increased its forecast of electricity needed by new large-scale users from 111 gigawatts to 152 gigawatts. By comparison, the record for grid demand was set last August when 85.5 gigawatts were used.
ERCOT regulates 90% of the state’s power grid.
