Texas temperatures have already hit the 90-degree mark with summer still more than a month away and ERCOT is expecting power demands to reach high levels between June and September.

A growing economy and retirements of generating units will tighten reserves available on peak summer days.

— Bill Magness, President and CEO of ERCOT, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas

In a recent press release, Magness states that ERCOT expects to have “sufficient generation to meet customer demand this summer.” Still, soaring temperatures will result in increased demand and, in turn, consumers who are shopping for the best electricity rates should probably lock-in sooner than later according to Andrew Barlow, spokesperson for the Public Utilities Commission.

The best bet is a fixed-rate contract. A plan that changes month-to-month is not prudent under these circumstances,” he said. “Make the changes now so you are not worried about market prices come August.

— Waco Tribune – May 4, 2018

ERCOT manages about 90% of the state’s electric load and the Council has gone to great lengths to establish reserve generation margins that are expected to last through the year 2022. Since March, Texas’ generation capacity has increased by a total of 500 MW thanks, in part, to previously-mothballed units coming back online and the addition of a gas-fired plant going into operation earlier than expected.

But with consumers experiencing summer-like temperatures long before the official start to the season, spending a few moments reviewing the latest electricity rates could be beneficial to keeping summer comfort within the household budget.