The agency that oversees most of the Texas power grid says future power projections have improved but the state could still struggle with peak demand — possibly even next summer.
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT, said Monday that the long-term margins have improved but projected reserves for the summer of 2013 have decreased.
The Texas population is booming and is expected to nearly double in the coming decades. Power generation is not expanding as quickly.
ERCOT says it will have a reserve margin of 13.2 percent in the upcoming summer, slightly below its target of 13.75 percent. By 2014, those reserves will drop to 10.9 percent, still below target but more than had been forecast. The margin will continue to drop, hitting 2.8 percent by 2022.
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Online:
http://www.ercot.com/
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.