ERCOT’s large load queue has almost quadrupled from this time last year, up to 226 GW from 63 GW.
The main factor? Unsurprisingly, data centers (which make up about 77% of the requests through 2030).
But supply isn’t matching up with demand. In the past two years, 23 GW have been added. Early next year, only another 9 GW are expected. That’s a big gap considering how fast these data centers plan to ramp up.
There are plenty of generation interconnection requests in Texas, totalling 432 GW. The large majority of this is solar and energy storage projects (about 77%).
There is also a push for more gas generation in Texas, to provide near-term reliable energy for data centers. The Texas Energy Fund has received nearly $9 billion from the state to provide low-interests loans to natural gas builds.
But proposed projects are facing serious setbacks. Eight projects have recently withdrawn due to issues with permits, obtaining turbines, or other delays. This represents about 35% of the total proposed gas capacity in the state.
There are a lot of moving parts when it comes to getting the gigawatts Texas needs online. Only time will tell how the Lone Star State (and much of the rest of the country) will fix this issue.
