Three U.S. grid operators, PJM Interconnection, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) and the Southwest Power Pool (SPP), set new records for hourly electricity demand this summer, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported on October 15. Four other regional operators came within a few percent of their all-time highs.

EIA’s analysis draws on hourly load data that balancing authorities submit on Form EIA-930, published through the agency’s Hourly Electric Grid Monitor. A record here means the highest load in a single hour.

The new records

  • PJM: 162.6 gigawatts (GW) on July 2, 2026, 1.3% above its pre-2026 peak of 160.6 GW on June 23, 2025.
  • ERCOT: 91.1 GW on July 22, 2026, 6.5% above its pre-2026 record of 85.5 GW.
  • SPP (listed by EIA as SWPP): 58.0 GW on July 27, 2026, 3.5% above its pre-2026 peak of 56.0 GW on August 21, 2023.

EIA said most of the peaks occurred during regional heat waves, and it linked to a weather report describing the season as the “hottest summer on record,” which drove up demand for cooling.

Close to the line

Several other markets approached, but did not pass, their previous highs. The California Independent System Operator (CAISO) reached 50.0 GW on September 9, against its record of 51.1 GW from September 6, 2022. ISO New England (ISO-NE) hit 25.3 GW on July 2, below the 25.9 GW it set on June 24, 2025. The New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) reached 31.1 GW, also on July 2, compared with 31.9 GW on June 24, 2025; EIA noted that NYISO itself reports a 34.0 GW record from 2013, before hourly data collection began.

The Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) peaked at 121.5 GW on June 30. EIA said that is the highest value in its Hourly Electric Grid Monitor, but it remains below the 127.1 GW peak of July 20, 2011, that MISO reports. July 2 was a common date across the East: PJM’s record and the 2026 highs for ISO-NE and NYISO all fell on that day.

What the Texas peak looked like

In an earlier analysis published August 3, EIA said ERCOT’s record came at 6:00 p.m. Central Time on July 22, during a heat wave. At that hour, natural gas supplied 48% of the generation and solar 32%, according to the agency. EIA wrote at the time that the record “could be surpassed again this summer, especially if Texas experiences another heat wave.” The October analysis lists the same 91.1 GW figure as ERCOT’s 2026 peak.

The August piece also put SPP’s demand at 57.9 GW at 5:00 p.m. Central Time on July 27, slightly below the 58.0 GW listed in the October analysis.

Demand and prices

The peaks came during a quarter of strong overall consumption. In its October Short-Term Energy Outlook, EIA said, “Overall, electricity consumption in 3Q26 increased by 4% across the country compared with the same quarter last year,” with residential use up 6% and commercial use up 5%.

The same outlook ties some of this year’s wholesale price increases to the weather. EIA said some regions saw higher wholesale electricity prices “mainly due to weather events, such as winter storm Fern and high summer temperatures particularly in July.” It forecast that wholesale prices in the PJM region will be 41% higher in 2026 than in 2025.

Why it matters

Peak-hour figures show how much supply a grid had to deliver at its most stressed moments, and this summer three regional markets needed more than they ever had in a single hour. In the August analysis, EIA wrote that “in regions with increasing electricity demand and generation, periods of high demand, such as heat waves, are likely to continue to set records.”

For utilities, large industrial users and project developers in PJM, ERCOT and SPP, the 2026 numbers are now the records to beat. Looking ahead, EIA’s outlook forecasts commercial-sector electricity demand, which it says includes data centers, to grow 2.8% in 2027 and industrial demand to rise 2.7%.

The caveats

EIA publishes Form EIA-930 data “as-is,” as reported by each balancing authority, and says the values reflect the “best values at the time of reporting.” Data that balancing authorities publish themselves may differ. Figures for the same event also vary slightly between EIA’s own articles: the August analysis, citing ERCOT, dated the previous 85.5 GW Texas record to August 10, 2023, while the October analysis lists it as August 20, 2024. The October article does not discuss data centers or other specific drivers of demand beyond the heat.