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Texas electricity rates are increasing this summer. A heatwave, rising natural gas prices, and record-breaking energy demand mean high electricity prices for Texas residents and business owners.
The seasonal struggle resurfaced earlier this summer with an announcement from the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which runs the Texas power grid. In its Seasonal Assessment of Resource Adequacy (SARA), released in May, ERCOT predicted this summer would see record high energy demand. The SARA report predicted there would still be enough power generation to meet the record summer demand.
However, ERCOT has released multiple requests for Texans to conserve electricity since May, including two appeals within three days of one another. ERCOT pointed to record high demand, decreased generation from wind and solar sources, and forced thermal outages as reasons for the conservation appeals.
The result: energy rates have increased as the cost of wholesale electricity gets passed along to customers.