July 21 was Texas hot—the kind of day where the sidewalk could cook your eggs and your AC never stops working overtime. Unsurprisingly, Texans cranked up their thermostats, and the grid responded with a record-busting 80.55 gigawatts (GW) of power demand at 2:30 PM. That’s like the entire state asking for one giant cold front…at the same time.
Now, rewind a few summers. That kind of load would’ve sent ERCOT (the Electric Reliability Council of Texas) into full-blown alert mode—issuing conservation warnings, preparing for rotating outages, and sweating more than the rest of us. But not this time.
This time? No emergency. No conservation calls. No outages.
So what changed? The short answer: solar and batteries got seriously jacked.
At that scorching 2:30 PM moment, solar energy was cranking out over 27 GW, supplying more than a third of the state’s entire electricity needs. That’s a huge leap forward from where ERCOT was just two years ago—and it’s not by accident.
ERCOT has quietly (or maybe not so quietly if you follow the energy world) doubled down on renewables, especially utility-scale solar and grid-connected battery storage. It’s part of a long-term play that’s finally paying off, and yesterday was the poster child for how it works.
Also wild: wholesale electricity prices were just $28/MWh at the time. That’s low—even by Texas standards—and it gave batteries a chance to do what they do best: charge up while the sun’s doing the heavy lifting.
Fast forward to the evening—sun’s heading west, people are heading home, and demand is still high. In many places, this is where things fall apart. Solar dips, demand stays steady or rises, and the infamous “duck curve” rears its ugly, grid-straining head.
But in Texas? That duck is nowhere to be found.
Batteries stepped in, delivering a net output of over 33 GW when prices briefly spiked to $87/MWh. They didn’t just ease the burden on the grid—they flattened the curve and kept things humming smoothly.
Let’s pause to appreciate what that means:
Instead of frantically firing up fossil fuel peaker plants or begging residents to cut back, ERCOT relied on the renewables it had banked earlier in the day. That’s what resilience looks like.
Texas isn’t usually the first place you think of when you picture a green energy revolution, but ERCOT’s approach is surprisingly progressive—at least when it comes to letting energy projects get built.
Here’s the formula:
That last one matters a lot. While other states get bogged down in interconnection queues and policy red tape, Texas lets solar farms and battery developers get in, build, and plug in fast. As a result, the ERCOT grid is becoming a proving ground for cheap, clean, and reliable energy.
ERCOT’s grid didn’t just survive a punishing summer day—it thrived, thanks to strategic investments in renewables and flexible resources. And it’s proof that when you stack solar + storage + smart market design, you don’t just get climate wins—you get real-world reliability.
No, the grid isn’t perfect. And yes, there’s always more work to do to ensure equity, resilience, and long-term decarbonization. But if you’re looking for a glimpse of what the future of power can look like? Look no further than Texas in July.
Want more good energy like this in your inbox? Subscribe to our newsletter, and keep your feed charged with fresh EV news, grid glow-ups, and climate wins. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook to stay plugged in.
Sources:
ERCOT 2021 Outlook
Grid data via July 21, 2025 ERCOT real-time dashboard screenshots
Published July 24, 2025 6:09PM
Eveelife is an eco-oriented lifestyle platform that helps consumers make more purposeful choices about how they live and what they consume. We do it by curating content and products that help them make more conscious, carbon-free choices while amplifying their EV ownership experience.
