HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A new report shows a growing industry in Texas could put a strain on the state’s power grid this winter.
Winter power problems have been on Houston resident, Dolores Hidalgo’s mind ever since the winter storm in 2021. In February 2021, an University of Houston report shows more than two-thirds of all Texans lost power for nearly three days during a winter storm.
“I think about it every year,” Hidalgo said. “I get worried that we’re going to lose power and it’s going to be for weeks, and we’re going to be cold.”
Five years later, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation has a new assessment on how prepared the state’s grid, ERCOT, is this winter. The report shows ERCOT could be strained this winter due to data centers. They’re facilities that house IT infrastructure systems.
“These are very, very large loads,” Energy Ogre COO, David Kinchen, explained. “We’re not talking like this is a large warehouse of load where a normal warehouse is mostly empty. We’re talking like these are refinery-type loads.”
An industry that’s growing rapidly. Texas Comptroller figures show that before the winter storm five years ago, there were 13 registered data centers.
Right now, there are nearly 100. An increase, the new report said, that could impact ERCOT.
While more data centers are here, Kinchen said right now the state can mainly handle the demand because it has added more ways to create power. However, he said there’s concern that’ll change.
“During our peak last year, we were around 80-85 megawatts of peak load,” Kinchen said. “They’re talking about interconnecting another 100 megawatts of datacenters.”
For now, ERCOT data shows the chances of outages are only one percent in January. Low chances that some have a hard time believing after what happened nearly five years ago.
“I feel like every year something happens,” Hidalgo said. “I really hope they prove me wrong.”
Experts said here’s how data centers could impact power this winter. Normally, they said the most power is used in the morning, when you wake up.
However, these facilities run all the time, which could change peak periods and impact power in the future.
ABC13 reached out to ERCOT to ask about winter preparedness and the impact of data centers, but we didn’t receive a response.
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Niko Travis is a dedicated health writer with a passion for providing clear, reliable, and research-backed information about medications and mental health. As the author behind TrazodoneSUC, Niko simplifies complex medical topics to help readers understand the benefits, uses, and potential risks of Trazodone. With a commitment to accuracy and well-being, Niko ensures that every article empowers readers to make informed decisions about their health.
