The following news release was issued by the Electric Reliablity Council of Texas (ERCOT) around 12:30 Thursday afternoon.  

ERCOT Breaks Electricity Demand Record Again
Power Watch Cancelled
 
For the second time this month, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, Inc. (ERCOT), the grid operator for most of the state, set a new record for winter peak demand with 57,282 megawatts (MW) today between 7 and 8 a.m.  – nearly 1,000 MW higher than the previous record from Feb. 2, and 1,400 MW higher than the 2010 record.
 
“While it is always a good idea to conserve electricity when you can, we are cancelling the ‘Power Watch” at this time,” said CEO Trip Doggett.  “We appreciate the efforts of the consumers to reduce their electricity consumption during these recent critical days of severe weather.”
 
The all-time peak demand for the ERCOT region is 65,776 MW, which occurred on Aug. 23, 2010.
 
In addition, the transmission watch for the Rio Grande Valley area has been cancelled. 
 
For more information, see previous news releases at http://www.ercot.com/news/press_releases/
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, Inc., (ERCOT) manages the flow of electric power to approximately 22 million Texas customers – representing 85 percent of the state´s electric load and 75 percent of the Texas land area.  As the Independent System Operator for the region, ERCOT schedules power on an electric grid that connects 40,000 miles of transmission lines and more than 550 generation units.  ERCOT also manages financial settlement for the competitive wholesale bulk-power market and administers customer switching for 6.5 million Texans in competitive choice areas.  ERCOT is a membership-based 501(c)(4) nonprofit corporation, governed by a board of directors and subject to oversight by the Public Utility Commission of Texas and the Texas Legislature.