AUSTIN, Texas (KTRK) — In the short term, ERCOT said it has enough power to handle this weekend’s potential winter storm, and it’s also eyeing long-term strains by working on a new planning process.

This weekend, ABC13 meteorologists are tracking a potential storm that could bring snow to northern Texas and freezing rain to southeast Texas. On Monday, ABC13 asked the state’s grid operator, ERCOT, if it’s ready to handle the potential storm.

The agency told Eyewitness News that, based on expected weather conditions, ERCOT anticipates there will be sufficient generation to meet demand this winter. You might remember, nearly five years ago, a winter storm crippled the grid.

In February 2021, a University of Houston report shows more than two-thirds of all Texans lost power for nearly three days during a winter storm.

Winter weather isn’t the thing putting a possible strain on the grid. Late last week, ERCOT leaders met with the Public Utility of Commission of Texas to talk about a planning process to handle businesses, including data centers and cryptocurrency companies that use a lot of power.

Last year, ERCOT says it got requests from large load operators to use just over 13,000 megawatts. In five years, that number could jump to 225,000 megawatts from those providers.

Before projects are connected, ERCOT is working on a new process.

“At the end of the process, at the end of the study, the developers would have a set amount of time to make a commitment, a financial commitment, that they’re going to move forward with that project,” ERCOT interconnection and grid analysis vice president, Jeff Billo, explained. “If they do that, the transmission projects would move forward.”

A Houston Advanced Research Center and University of Houston report shows that one large data center can use the same power as 80,000 homes. The report found that the growth is intensifying grid demands, potentially straining future availability.

An industry that’s growing quickly. Texas comptroller figures show that five years ago, there were only 13 registered data centers statewide.

Last year, it climbed to nearly 100. In fact, when it comes to this winter, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation said data centers are driving demand forecasts and contributing to shortfall risks.

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