AUSTIN, Texas (AP) _ The Texas electric grid managers said another day of record demand for electricity lies ahead as afternoon temperatures test record heights.
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas reports it has seen record demand in each of the last two days as temperatures greatly exceeded 100 degrees. Temperatures reached 110 degrees at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport on Tuesday.
An ERCOT statement said demand reached a record 67,929 megawatts between 4 and 5 p.m. Tuesday, beating a day-old record by just over 1,000 megawatts. ERCOT expects a record demand of 68,100 megawatts on Wednesday.
One megawatt of electricity is enough to power about 200 homes in Texas with air conditioners running in hot weather for long periods of time. ERCOT asks consumers to reduce their late-afternoon electricity usage to avoid emergency outages.
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